


Faith, Hope, and Love

by Jenn0509



Series: Faith, Hope, and Love [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Anal Sex, Angels, Blow Jobs in a Car, Boy King of Hell Sam, Complete, Dark Sam Winchester, Dom!Sam, Dom/sub, Domestic, Double Penetration, End of the World, F/M, Fate & Destiny, First Time, Light Bondage, Magical Tattoos, Nephilim, Oral Sex, Polyamory, Polyfidelity, Possessive Sam Winchester, Protective Dean Winchester, Safe Sane and Consensual, Somnophilia, Supernatural Elements, Threesome - F/M/M, Unplanned Pregnancy, Unsafe Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-25
Updated: 2014-12-02
Packaged: 2017-12-27 14:06:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 20
Words: 66,040
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/979816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jenn0509/pseuds/Jenn0509
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Isabel's never been normal, and she's been okay with that distinction since she was five years old. She's grown weary though, and after the year she's had, meeting Sam Winchester just might change her life even more.</p><p>He's sweet, funny, and he doesn't make her feel like she's a freak. Things are great...until Dean shows up on her doorstep thinking his brother is dead.</p><p>Post Swan Song, AU past that</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. In My Arms

In My Arms: Plumb  
Veronica hugged her youngest son to her chest, wrapping her wings around him and his sister. "Castiel, you will be good for Anna. Won't you?"

The boy nodded, his face covered in a familiar misty confusion, "Anna is my elder, she is my superior. Yes, Mother, I will obey her."

Anna shared a pained look with her mother, who tucked her wings against her slender frame, "Yes, Castiel, you will. You will obey Anna and hold your Father's Will in your heart. Trust in them both and you will be safe. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, Mother. I understand." The boy nodded and walked away, into the vast whiteness that was the Lord's House.

Veronica smiled, shaking her head. For all her youngest son pretended to be like his oldest brother, Michael, he was still her little boy, nowhere near as stoic as he portrayed himself to be. "I didn't tell him he could leave." She said with a smile.

"I'm certain he didn't mean to offend you." Anna said softly.

"I know." Veronica took her daughter's small hand, squeezing tightly, "Anna, keep him safe. He's going to be a handful once he finally wakes up to what is happening. You both must not be fooled by the treachery that is threatening to invade the heavens. Dark times are coming. Keep your wits about you." She kissed the red headed girl on the head, "I love you."

The girl let her feathery pale lashes close, "And I you, Mother." Anna looked just like any other thirteen year old girl, dressed in solid white with black wings coming out of her back. Castiel looked to be about seven, dark hair from his Father, and dark blue eyes from his mother. Even in angel years, he was young, just a child. Anna was older than she looked though, by hundreds of years. Time in Heaven was funny that way. "But, Mother, why is it you that has to go? Can't someone else go?" She was pouting, showing her young age.

Veronica winced, "No, little one. It has to be me. It's the only way I can think of to get Him to listen to me. The humans have clouded his judgement, perhaps something else too. And if my sacrifice can bring back His reason, then I will go as far as I need to."

Anna recoiled, "You would fall to Hell for him?" Her fear was reasonable for a change, which brought Veronica a small sense of relief. Anna often had a tendency to panic about a lot of things, and it killed Veronica to see her in distress.

Veronica touched her only daughter's cheek, seeking to calm her, "No, sweet one. Not to Hell. Just to Earth, no farther. You don't need to worry about things like that."

"Mother, won't He smite you? You know He will." said a deep, masculine voice behind them.

Michael stood behind them, his beauty not masked by a mortal frame. Veronica smiled at him, her oldest, most noble, most obedient, son, "No, Michael. He would have to find me first. And we both know that that would be incredibly difficult for him to do."

"You're being foolish. Father will find you. He knows all." Michael snapped, causing Anna to hide behind their mother.

"If it is foolish to want to prevent war, than so be it." The redhead said sharply, smoothing her daughter's own red hair.

Michael was angry, his whole body shaking, "Why is he so much better than us? I don't understand!"

She wanted to reach out and touch him, but he hadn't been raised like the others, privy to the comfort of a mother's touch, and neither had Lucifer. He would no more accept her touch than Anna or Castiel would her rejection. "I know you don't, and for that I will forever grieve. I dream of a world where all of my children will know peace with each other."

"Father plans, Veronica. We need do nothing but what He instructs us to do. He will provide for us. You need not act unsanctioned. You risk becoming one of the unfavored Fallen. Why?" He was calmer now, upset still, but the fear in his sister's eyes had curbed his anger.

Veronica held her ground, "Freewill, Michael. It is as precious and as dangerous as any life. The humans, they deserve the chance to have freewill, not to be enslaved."

He growled at Veronica and Anna squeaked in an adorably human manner. "You speak as if you believe we are enslaving them! It is the demons! It is Lucifer!"

Veronica sighed, "I regret not being able to hold you and Lucifer when you were children. I was never allowed to comfort you as a mother should. It is my fault, all of this. Your anger, Lucifer's betrayal, Gabriel's frivolity, Daniel's insecurity, Castiel's indifference..." She stroked her daughter's hair again, "...Anna's fear, it is all my fault. Sometimes I think that this is His punishment upon me for your flaws. I should have been a better mother. I couldn't have changed you and Lucifer, I wasn't allowed, but the others, I should have fixed them. This is my fault, so I am choosing to have the freewill to try to fix my mistakes. I'm taking responsibility for what I've done wrong."

Castiel returned, watching from behind Michael, who was nearly at a loss for words. "Mother, no, those things, they aren't your fault."

Veronica smiled sadly, "I think so, and He thinks so. I can only hope that you can find it in your hearts to forgive me for leaving you. You must remember that we are to forgive all those who trespass against us. However, you just might understand one thing now: every being has flaws. Your Father is no exception."

"Don't go." Castiel said, his voice wavering and tears filling his big blue eyes. He looked more like Anna and Veronica then than he ever had.

Veronica knelt next to him, cupping his face in her hands, "Don't cry, my baby boy. I'm not worth your tears. You'll understand why I have to do this one day, I promise." She wiped a tear from his face, "Who knows, may-haps I will explain it to you myself once you are grown. I do this out of love Castiel. I hope you can all forgive me one day."

Michael was tense, "Mother, if you are going to leave, you'd best leave now. Zachariah is coming. We both know he won't allow you to fall."

"You're right, Micheal. I need to leave." She turned to prepare herself but Castiel spoke.

"Mother, will you see Daniel?" She nodded, her eyebrows knitting together, "Can you tell him that we miss him?"

She smiled at her baby, "Yes, I will. Don't forget, say my name, and I will always listen. Goodbye, my children. May we meet again one day." Veronica looked down at the Earth with a forlorn look. She knew what she had to do it. In a flash of brilliant golden light the archangel, Veronica, fell, bringing the wrath if God upon herself.

For the next two centuries, God followed her every move, but every time he thought he had her, she would vanish. She'd been made that way, of course, He had wanted her to be a creature of mystery, to be able to hide from him when others could not. Before He had created a single angel, He had been lonely. He had created Veronica to be His perfect companion, to challenge His word just enough to make him question himself. With the creation of the other angels and then the humans, He had stopped listening to her. She had warned him of Lucifer's unrest, she had tried to stop all evil before it became what it was destined to be.

When their son had fallen, drawing countless others with him, Veronica had begged Him to compromise with their wayward son, to bring him home. He had refused, and banished them all in favor of the humans, it didn't matter that Lucifer was one of the six angels that were his blooded children by Veronica. But the creation of the demons had been the last straw.

Since that time, Veronica had stayed faithful, baring her Lord two more children, first Anna, and then her baby, her Castiel. God wanted war with Hell now. Veronica knew that her words no longer meant anything to Him, and that begging for him to spare their son's life would be futile. She had thought, that perhaps He would give clemency to the Fallen that were His flesh and blood. He didn't. 

He had refused, told her that Lucifer had made his choice, as had Gabriel and Daniel. And their second oldest son had risen in the ranks in Hell. So she had to fall. She could keep her wayward son from rising and keep his Father from killing him. The only way she could ever find peace with herself was if she brought Lucifer home.

Anna never forgot her Mother's words. Neither did Castiel. Even now, in the twenty-first century, with Sam and Dean, he found himself thinking of Veronica, the beautiful angel who had treated him like her own son. She had left before any child should be without it's mother. Anna had never been anything more than his older sister. Castiel had seen his mother's Fall as a betrayal to their Father. He had grown up to hate his mother. Anna had tried to convince him that Veronica hadn't wanted to leave them, but that she had to. She had even tried to tell him that Veronica was away doing Gods work, but he was always stubborn.

Two thousand years later, and he was still stubborn. Denying his feelings for Dean was getting him no where. He had been willing to die for the human, had died, only to find himself whole again a day later. The apocalypse had started, Lucifer had been released by Dean's brother, and Castiel could no longer hear his Father. He could only assume that He had saved them. He never thought that his mother could have been alive to save him, but she was.

The Winchesters were staying close to Bobby, but neither brother would speak directly to the other. It was only because of Castiel's instance that Dean hadn't kicked his brother out of Bobby's hospital room. It had been three days since the angel had disappeared again, and the tension was getting to be unbearable for the paralyzed man, his already short temper going through the roof.

Just down the stairs, a young woman named Isabel Hastings was on her way home from the floor where her mother worked in the same hospital. Her brother, Daniel, followed right behind, managing to look more like a pedophile than a protective older brother.

Sam was walking back to the corner diner for the tenth time, his mind set on a cup of coffee to fuel his vigil. As he turned right out of the hospital's main entrance, he didn't even notice the small blonde girl until she slammed into his body. She had been turned around to ask her brother what they were having for dinner, and suddenly found herself wrapped in the arms of a massive man.

"Sorry." He grumbled, letting her go.

He was just about to walk away when she put a hand on his arm, "It's okay. That was my fault, I wasn't watching where I was going. I'm so clumsy." Sam stared at her, her voice, it reminded him of Jessica's, but her eyes had the same spark Madison's had. It was the middle of June, and the girl's golden blonde hair shone in the sunlight. She picked his busted phone off the ground. "I'm really sorry!"

He couldn't resist giving her a smile, "It's okay, I've got a spare. I'm Sam."

She smiled, "Isabel. My brother should be able to fix the phone for you..." She looked around and pursed her lips, "Well, he would, but it appears he's gone inside again. I'm sorry." She got out a scrap of paper from her pocket and pulled a pen from her purse, scribbling a number on the paper, her cheeks flushed bright pink, "Um...I'm not usually like this, but...here's my number. You should call me, whenever you get your phone fixed. I can um...pay you back for it."

She pressed the paper into his hand and folded his long fingers around it. "You don't have to." He protested weakly.

Sam was tempted to give the number back to her, but she pat his fist with her cool fingers and smiled. "No, I have to. It's a Girl Scout thing." She laughed at her own joke, "Keep the number. It will make me feel better."

He nodded, "I guess I'll keep it then." A smile actually graced his face.

Isabel looked over her shoulder, "Oh, there's my brother." The blonde man was standing at the hospital entrance, his eyes fixed on his sister, his expression stormy. Isabel just looked back at Sam, "I'd better go." She turned around but smiled back at him one last time, giving him a wave, "It was nice to meet you Sam!"

"Yeah, same here." Sam whispered under his breath to her retreating form.

Rejoining her brother, Isabel looked back at Sam, her head in the clouds. "That looked like it went well." He commented stiffly.

She nodded, "Yeah, it did. He's nicer than I had expected he would be."

"They all are, Isabel. Even Lucifer was the most charming angel." Daniel knew what his mother was aiming for, but he didn't like the principles of using his little sister against the Antichrist. "Are you ready for this?"

She smiled at him, "Daniel, I was born ready."

Everyday, Isabel remind him more and more of Veronica. Ever since they had told her about everything Supernatural, her confidence had gone through the roof. A half year ago, Isabel had been just another college graduate. A demon had snatched her off the street and held her captive. It had taken Daniel three days to find her and about thirty seconds to send the creature back to hell.

It had made no sense to keep that half of her hidden after that. They had thought she'd be scared, but she'd just sat there quietly before nodding her head in acceptance.

She had had a harder time accepting that her brother was now a vessel occupied by one of her ancient half brothers. In the last few months, Isabel had spent time getting used to the fact that the man that had been in her brother's body since she was five wasn't her real brother. Now, she was back into the sibling mode with him, considering, technically, he still was her brother, just her half brother. He'd taught her to fight, made her study all sorts of monsters. She'd gotten good at it.

"That's good. It's time." The angel said, stuffing his hands into pockets of his faded denim jeans.

Isabel froze, "What? No, no, Daniel, you can't, no!" The angel walked down the street, his head down. Isabel ran after him, "Come back here! Daniel!"

He stopped at the mouth of an alley way to look at his youngest sister, "Isabel, you have to do this, and I can't be with you. Castiel..."

"I know about Castiel, but, really, why does it have to be now?"

He quirked a smile at her, "It's the apocalypse. We don't have anymore time. You have to stop it."

"I'm not ready!"

He chuckled, "I thought you were ready?" Isabel just gapped at him. He hugged her, an unusual display of affection from him. "You can do it, Isabel." He whispered, and touched her shoulder where her Amaric tattoo resided spelling out the word 'Love'. She was astounded by his silent proclamation as he let her go, "Remember, 'Constant vigilance'." He walked away, down the alley, and out of her sight.

She bolted after him, screaming, "Don't you quote Harry Potter to me! Come back here!" But her brother was gone, probably off to their mother in South Dakota. "Jerk!" She yelled out to no one in particular before reluctantly heading back to her motorhome and starting her stake out.

Sam didn't think of Isabel again until several months later, in Nebraska. He and Dean were finally getting along again. And for the first time since the Apocalypse had started, Sam felt good. Not great, but good. They were heading out of Alliance, Nebraska when Sam saw a flash of blonde hair standing on the side walk, watching the Impala drive by at the fifteen mile per hour speed limit. "Hey, Dean, do you see that girl standing on the sidewalk?" He whispered over the thrum of the Impala's engine.

Dean turned around in the driver's seat and laughed when he got a glimpse of the girl, "Awe, Sammy, I can tell you now, that chick is out of your league. Too much of a smoking hot babe for you."

"I saw her when we were at the hospital with Bobby. I ran into her." Sam said, his voice nervous.

Dean just arched an eyebrow at his brother, "Okay? So, same girl in a town one state over. It's not a big deal."

Sam relaxed, "She gave me her number." He said smugly, smiling at the stunned look on Dean's face.

"You're shittin' me." Dean said after sputtering for a few seconds.

"No, I'm not, I ran into her, and my phone got busted. She gave me her number so I could call her and let her pay for fixing my phone. Her name is Isabel." Sam looked back, but the sidewalk was empty except for a run down looking motor home.

"Isabel." Dean chirped. "Come on, man, we've got to head back to Bobby. You and I can dream about your little girl friend later."

"Really." Sam said, wincing at his brother's vulgarity. "That's just wrong."

In Utah two days later, Sam and Dean had just finished another job when Sam saw her again, standing across the street from their motel. He was distracted right after by the fact that Cass appeared right in front of Dean, causing the older Winchester to scream, "Cass! Personal space! Please!"

"Sorry. Listen, there's something going on here." Castiel said, his voice curt.

"Yeah, Cass, a job. That's why we are here. A job." Dean said, his eyes lingering over the angel's dusty form with a disapproving look.

"The-" Cass stopped mid word, "It's too late."

"What's too late? Cass! Cass!" Dean shook the angel, but he continued to stare out at the open field next to the motel.

"She's dead." Castiel said, his voice empty.

"Who?" Sam asked, thinking through the small bank of women they cared about.

"Anna." The Winchester's looked stunned by Castiel's blunt exclamation. "Something killed her, something far more powerful than Zachariah." Sam pulled them all into the motel room.

"Lucifer?" Dean asked, trying to get Castiel to look at him.

The angel shook his head, "No, not him. I don't recognize...it's just not possible."

"What? God damn it, Cass, speak so it makes sense." Dean yelled, starting to panic.

"The only one strong enough to put off this much residual energy after killing another angel is an archangel, and this feels like none of them, it's somehow...stronger. I don't think I know who killed Anna." A tear ran down his face even though he showed no other hint of emotion, "My sister is dead."

"Yeah, real sorry for you, but she was a bitch. About what killed her, you said it's stronger than an Archangel? Do we ever want to meet that? I didn't think there was anything more powerful than Archangels unless it was the big man." Dean was officially panicking, in his own little pissed off way.

"There was one creature between the two, a sub level of archangel. An Enochian. A type of angel far above any normal archangel, and several centuries older, the first angel. There was only ever one, and she is dead." Castiel said, looking more upset than any other time the brothers had ever seen him, now more angry than sad. "She is dead." He said, his voice tight. Dean put a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, Cass, calm down. What did bitch number two do to you?" Sam said.

Castiel pinned Sam to the wall by his throat, "You don't know what you are talking about! She was not a bitch." He stopped, looking stunned by his own outburst of anger. Letting Sam go, he ducked his head, "Forgive me, she is dead, and if God is truly gone, he would not have made another. She was the only one. She was a good angel. She would not ever harm us."

Dean hugged Cass, "Okay, I know that I'm not ever one for Hallmark moments, but we didn't mean to upset you. Sounds like this angel meant a lot to you. What happened to her?"

The angel shrugged Dean off, unsure of how he felt about the close contact, "She was my mother. She fell, and was smited for it, there is nothing else to say."

Sam looked incredulous, "Your mother? I thought angels were just created."

"All but six of us. She was the mother of Michael, Lucifer, Gabriel, Daniel, Anna, and myself. I'm done talking about her. She is dead. As it is, she would never have killed Anna. They were close, there was a great bond between them I never understood." Castiel left looking achingly lost.

"I've never seen him like that." Dean said as Sam started packing up his stuff.

"Don't think too much about it. She was his sister. I'm more worried about the thing that killed her." Sam said.

"He seemed pretty certain that his mother was dead. Maybe it was just the big man upstairs? Anna did give him a lot of trouble. Maybe he just got tired of it?" He said, more worried about Castiel than he was willing to show. "Come on, Sammy, let's get going. We've got more beasties to kill before the world ends."


	2. Carry On Wayward Son

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is set during Swan Song!

Carry On Wayward Son: Kansas

The day the boys left Alliance, Isabel was driving away from them for the first time in months, "Isabel, are we going to South Dakota?"

She smiled at the little boy in the back seat, "Yeah, we are. What'cha know about South Dakota, Kiddo?"

"That's where Sam and Dean were going to take me. Are you taking me to the same place?" Jesse was on the sofa of her motor home, wrapped in a blanket with a cup of hot chocolate in his hands. It was cold inside the motor home, once night had fallen, the temperature of the midwest plains had dropped twenty degrees.

"No, I'm taking you to stay with my Mom. It's just a little ways away from where they were taking you, but it's safer." Isabel turned her blinker on and changed lanes.

"Safer?"

Isabel nodded, "Yup! She's different like you. She can keep you safe." She knew how important Jesse was to stopping the apocalypse, and how if he wasn't raised properly, he could be the one to end it, but, sitting with a mug of hot chocolate, he looked like any other little boy.

"Like me? Does that mean that I can't hurt her?" Jesse's voice was excited.

"Yup, she's little boy proof, and she lives far enough out of the way that you won't be able to hurt anyone else, super-boy. There's lots of open land, I loved it as a kid." It was getting late, and Isabel was hoping that her little backseat anti-christ would go to sleep soon so she could call her mother.

"You grew up there?" He asked.

The memories brought a smile to Isabel's face, "Well, we had a house in the city just on the other side of Kansas until I was seven, then my mom, my brother and I lived in the country house in South Dakota until I went to college, but, yeah, we came out here most weekends. My older brother and I would run around until we passed out from exhaustion."

"Do you have younger siblings?" He asked, his voice a bit softer and his eyelids beginning to bob up and down.

Isabel laughed softly, "I've always been the little sister. I guess I have a little brother now though. You cool with that?"

"I'd like that. I've never had a sister before, and you're pretty." She heard him sit his mug on the small sofa side table, the ceramic clinking on the fake marble.

"You crashing, kid?" She didn't get a response, so she glanced back at him. The boy was curled up sound asleep, his left fist thrust under his chin and his right arm dangling off the edge of the sofa. He was adorable.

Isabel turned on the radio at a soft thrum, just loud enough to keep her awake. Four hours later, she pulled into the long drive that led to her mother's house. Halfway to the house, their dog, Ion, met the motor home, and kept up with it all the way to the house. She woke Jesse up, brushing his brown hair away from his face as he stirred, “Hey, Kiddo, time to get up.”

He blinked at her, "Are we there?"

"Right outside, you ready?"

He nodded, "I think so." He pulled on his Keds and followed Isabel down the steps.

Her abnormally large yellow Labrador, Ion, sniffed the boy's nose, but didn't jump up. "That's Ion, he was my dog, but my Mom wouldn't give him up when I finally got out of college. He's a good boy."

"I get to live with a dog!" The little boy exclaimed, more happy than he'd been since Isabel had met him. She just nodded, and he ran to her, hugging her waist, burying his face in her stomach, "My dad was allergic, but I always wanted a dog!"

A happy voice cried out, clear in the air, "Isabel!" Jesse instantly went to hide behind Isabel as her mother stepped down the front step of the house. The beautiful woman smiled kindly at Jesse, "I see you made it with our new little friend." She knelt next to her daughter, briefly touching the girl's hand and winking at her, "Hello, Jesse. My name is Veronica, I'm Isabel's mother. You're going to be staying here for a while. It's nice to finally meet you."

The boy stepped from behind Isabel and shook Veronica's offered hand, "I'm Jesse. Is Isabel staying here?"

Veronica looked up at her daughter with a sad expression, tucking a strand of her fire-red hair behind her ear, "I'm afraid not, Jesse, Isabel needs to get back to the boys." She hugged her daughter, who was still stiff with frustration, "You'd best be going. I've got Jesse from here on out."

"Mom! Please, I was driving all night! Don't I at least get the chance to sleep for a few hours?" Isabel said.

Veronica just looked at her, and snapped a finger, "There, now you're all rested again. You won't need to sleep until tomorrow night."

Isabel felt lighter, more alert, but her brain was telling her that the still dark sky meant she was supposed to be in bed, "You can't do that! You can't go messing with my sleep schedule like that! It's just...not right!"

Veronica kissed her daughter on the cheek, "Hush now, Isabel, you'll be fine. I need to get Jesse inside and introduce him to Adam."

"Adam?" Isabel asked, confused.

Veronica nodded, "Adam, the third Winchester. I pulled him back, and I'm keeping him safe here so no one else can try to use him. He's going to watch Jesse while I'm out." She ruffled the boy's hair, "I can't very well leave him alone, can I?"

"I guess not."

"Would you like something for breakfast, Jesse? I think Adam is having a bowl of cereal, but I can make pancakes if you want." She looked up at Isabel, "You can stay for breakfast if you want, but you must get back to them right after."

Isabel smiled, she was used to her mother's bossy attitude, but she didn't feel comfortable just dumping Jesse with two more strangers when she was a stranger to one of them, "Load me up!"

Barely an hour later, and Isabel was taking the long ride back to the Winchesters. Adam had been a nice kid, just a few years younger than her. He was cute in a nerdy way, still gangly and boyish. He'd tried to flirt with her, and she'd given him the nicest rejection she could after her mother explained that the boy had practically been eaten alive right next to his mother. She had tried to get information about Sam and Dean from him, while her mother was showing Jesse his new room, but Adam had never met his brothers and had instead started to interrogate her about them.

She had given the boy her cell phone number, telling him to call her if he or Jesse ever needed anything and couldn't reach her mother. Jesse had hugged her tightly before he would let her leave. He seemed to have gotten quite attached to her, and her mother had hugged her as well, "Be careful, baby girl. And watch those boys, they get killed, and I'll ream your hide."

"I love you too, mom." Isabel said dryly, rolling her eyes.

She laughed, "You know I love you, don't you? We will get through this, Isabel Sophia Hastings, I promise you that. Watch your back."

"I will, mom, you don't have to worry about me. Have you heard from Daniel?"

"Not in the last few days, but he can take care of himself, he's strong. He asked me to give this to you. Keep it with you." Veronica gave he daughter a necklace.

"This was dad's." Isabel gasped, opening it. Inside, were two pictures, one of the entire family just months before Joseph Alexander Hastings was gutted and strewn across their house, the other showed a swaddled infant Isabel being held by her brother.

The locket was one of the only things that had been salvaged of her father after his murder. "Daniel didn't feel right having it. He said it should be yours." Veronica explained.

The locket brought a smile to her face, "Tell him I love him, won't you? I know he thinks I don't, but I do. He is still my brother, no matter what."

Veronica smiled, "Yes, I will." She stopped Isabel before she walked down the front steps, "Isabel, he knows you love him. He's just...well, he's not like you. He never really had a childhood like you had. He's not open with his emotions, but he loves you. You're his baby sister."

Isabel nodded, "I know."

Isabel left South Dakota after that. Now, she was back in Utah, watching the boys tangle with witches. Adam and Jesse had already started texting her nearly nonstop, but she was thankful to have something to do instead of just sitting in her motorhome and doing nothing while the Winchesters had everything under control.

She followed them back to Bobby's, where she slept in one of the cars next to the house and prayed that the hawk disguised as Bobby wouldn't spot her. She was worried when Adam stopped texting her, but Jesse kept on texting to her, so she just assumed that the older boy had gotten a life. She could feel the apocalypse in her bones, they ached.

She saw Adam through the window when Castiel brought him. Isabel didn't understand why he was covered in dirt, but she was just glad to see that he was okay. He was acting like he had never seen Sam and Dean before and knew nothing about their existence, something she assumed her mother had told him to do. He saw her once, through the window and winked at her before turning around to yell at Dean again.

Isabel had no idea what her mother was up to, but she was still set on her goal. She followed them to where they lost Adam again, and an hour later he was texting her again, telling her all the details of his foray with his brother's. She constantly kept her eyes on Sam, the gentle giant in her mind. Her mother called her once, and told her how to give him extra strength to pull away from Lucifer, so she snuck around and added her own blood to the demon blood they were going to feed him.

She watched Dean and Death talk in Chicago, and was just about to leave when she felt a hand on her shoulder. "Who are you?"

A demon was standing next to her, the tightness in her chest telling her to fight him or run. She couldn't fight him though, she was in the middle of the street, so she just pulled away from him, trying to get away without seeming like she knew what he was. "I'm Isabel...I was just leaving."

"Not so fast." The demon said, grabbing her arm and pulling her into darkness.

When she woke up, a man with a partially rotting face stood over her, "Now, where did you find her?"

"Watching Dean, father. She looked far too interested in him to just be a bystander." The demon said, looking like a dog that just dug up a new squeaky toy.

Lucifer got right up to her, looking at her face intently, "You’re a nephilim." He smiled, pulling the knife her mother had given her out of her bag. "So you are one. I thought Father got rid of all of your kind. Tell me, who is the angel who bred you?" She didn't respond. He kicked her with the toe of his foot, softly, as if to get her attention, possibly to make sure she was still alive, "Are you mute?"

She sneered up at him, her lip bleeding, "I have nothing to say to the likes of you."

Lucifer looked at the blade reading the Enochian etched into the celestial steel. His face contorted in anger, "This blade belonged to the angel Veronica. Where did you get it?"

It took a few sharp kicks to get her to talk, "My mother gave it to me." She gasped.

He stared at her, his decomposing face contorted in rage. "Your mother? You are lying! The angel that owned this blade is dead!"

Lucifer beat her off and on until Sam and Dean were right outside his door, literally. It had been weeks, and he just kicked her into the corner behind a sofa like a dirty rag so he could focus on the Winchesters.

Isabel was broken, her body would pull itself together after a few hours, but it always hurt. The fact that he had stopped hitting her for a moment was a blessing. She had become his new plaything. The only constant blessing was that he had never touched her sexually, which she took as the fact that his body was failing. She had fought back for the first few days, but her energy had drained quickly. He would never let her sleep, poking at her or having his demons keep her awake while they poured water down her throat every few hours. She would never tell him anything about herself, in fact, she hadn't spoken a single word in the last few weeks.

Exhausted into silence, Isabel could only watch Sam say yes and the beginning of the ending of the world. When Sam and Dean had come in, Isabel had only had enough strength to reach towards Sam, the man whose face had always been in the forefront of her mind. She cared more for Sam than she could ever have admitted, and she didn't know why. He had been so close, but she hadn't been able to make even the smallest noise to get his attention.

Minutes later, she was alone with a stunned Dean and a quickly decomposing empty vessel. Dean had seen her once the dust had cleared and had carried her to the hospital, formulating the plan in his head so loudly she could practically hear the gears turning in it. He had asked for her name and she had, in her half delirious state told him. He looked at her strangely after that, as she slipped in and out of consciousness. He left her in the hospital with the first nurse he could find.

Not three hours later, and her mother and brother were standing over her. Isabel couldn't feel Sam anymore. She had gotten caught and he had said yes. "How could I have let this happen?" The beautiful redhead lamented, holding Isabel's lifeless hand, "Daniel, how could I have been so stupid? I should never have sent her off on her own. I shouldn't have sent her. I should have had faith in Sam and Dean, but no, I couldn't leave fate alone. And my mistake got taken out on my baby."

"Mother," The archangel said, his expression mournful, but calculated, "It is not your fault. You are not omnipotent. You could not have known that Lucifer would torture her." He put a hand on her, "She will not recover if she still remembers. It was foolish of you to tell her of our existence. She's served her purpose for now. Let her forget."

Veronica nodded, it was the only way to proceed from this point. Then Isabel could at least have another normal year, another year just to be the woman she had wanted to be. "You are right of course, you're the angel of wise judgement. You've helped me guide her since you came into this life. You will continue to look over her? She still needs her big brother."

He bowed his head, "Yes, my mortal sister will be of my upmost concern. You shan't need to worry over her safety anymore. She will never be alone. That beast of hers won’t leave her side now, and I’ll never be far."

"Thank you, Daniel, my beloved son. Please, let us be alone for this. It should only take a minute." The Enochian said softly.

Daniel ducked into the hall when Isabel finally found the strength to make sound, "What...are you...going to do?" She breathed out sleepily.

"Hush, don't think. This wont hurt a bit." Isabel watched in horror as her mother held her hand to her lips, "Forgive me, Isabel. Momma's going to make it all better. I promise." A tear fell down the great angel's porcelain cheek, "Just sleep now."

"No..." Isabel had choked out before her world went black.

\----------------  
Sam had wandered aimlessly since he had found himself under that lamppost outside Dean's. He had gotten a car, a new fake ID, and was now just wandering from city to city in the midwest. Dean had looked so happy with Lisa and Ben, and Sam had realized that however he had gotten back, he was no longer a part of Dean's life. There wasn't any space there for him anymore.

He had crashed outside of a quiet park someplace in Kansas, his piece of shit car had broken down about half a mile down the road. He felt cold, regardless of the fairly warm late spring air. Sam just closed his eyes, ready to think of where to go to get another car as he fell asleep.

"You know, I might not be a cop, but I'm pretty sure sleeping in the park is illegal." Said a soft voice, causing Sam's eyes to fly open.

He was met with blue eyes he wasn't ever sure were real, "Isabel?" He whispered, looking at the blond girl like she wasn't really there. The dog at her side whined before sitting at her feet with a huff.


	3. Some Hearts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam and Isabel reconnect

She smiled, but winced, "Yeah, but I don't seem to remember who you are."

"We met about a year ago. I'm Sam." He said, relieved to see at least someone he knew, someone that didn't try to spritz him with holy water every five minutes.

She sighed, looking uncomfortable, "Man, don't I hate I forgot you?" She whispered under her breath before looking back at him, "I'm really sorry, but I...um...I was in a car crash eleven months ago. A year before that, I was assaulted and got a concussion. It's weird, but I sort of forgot the year between those incidents. The memories are just gone. So no, I don't remember you. I think I wish I did though."

Sam cursed his still rotten luck, "Shit, I'm sorry. You have amnesia?"

"Yeah, I do. The doctors aren't sure if my memory will ever come back. They’re not actually sure why it’s gone at all." She bit her bottom lip, "Why are you sitting out here anyway?"

"My car broke down. I was just going to wait here until morning so I could get it fixed or get a new one." Sam said honestly.

She looked thoughtful, "You want to come crash at my place?"

"Really?" He said, stunned. The entire time he had been back he had been alone. Most people seemed to be scared off by his depressiveness and large size.

She shrugged and motioned for him to walk with her, "Come on, you can't stay out here. My house is just down the block."

"Really? I mean, are you sure?" He said incredulously, still not believing her offer.

Isabel nodded, "Yes, really. I'm not afraid of you." Sam felt something wet rub up against his hand and Isabel giggled when he jumped, "I think Ion likes you." She said, referring to the massive yellow Lab at her feet.

Sam eyed the huge dog warily, "I'm glad."

She giggled, and it made Sam's heart stop. The sound was so beautiful, he would give anything to hear it again. "Sam! He won't bite!"

"You sure?" Sam asked, looking down at her.

She smiled at him, tugging on the leather leash, "Yeah, Sam, I'm sure. He's gotten too old to do any real damage anyway. I think you two are similar, gentle giants."

"How do you know I'm gentle?" Sam said, remembering that he was...had been...the devil's vessel.

She shrugged, "I'm a good judge of people. Plus, I'm pretty sure the me from before would have kicked your ass if you tried anything. That stuffs all muscle memory, right?"

"I think it is. Wait, you're saying you were different before?" Sam said, stopping.

"I think I was. I'm not sure, but I have a tattoo now. I mean, I'm a school teacher! I would never get a tattoo!" She said, throwing up her hands.

"You got a tattoo?" He said, eyebrows raised.

She laughed, "Yeah! Two of them! I couldn't believe it! One is like a pattern on the middle of my back, and the other one is on my shoulder and says 'Love' in some foreign language. It's surreal!"

Sam joined her laughter, "I have one on my chest, but that was definitely something I chose to do."

Isabel looked at his chest like she could see through his shirt and see the anti-possession tattoo there. She blushed, "Sorry! I'm just having a hard time imagining you with a tattoo!"

Sam smirked at her, "You know, most people could say the same about you."

She nodded, "I know, but still, you're not a bad guy. I can tell. Otherwise, I wouldn't be taking you back to my house." She looked up at the sunset and started walking, "We should get going. Things get kind of creepy around here in the dark."

"Creepy? How so?" Sam asked, getting into step with her.

Isabel shrugged, "There are these neighborhood kids who get a little crazy when the sun goes down. They've been pretty quiet recently, but that's just because there are like four cop cars driving up and down the street every night. They always get onto me for staying out late."

"Oh, so it's just normal creepy?" Sam said.

She raised an eyebrow at him, "As opposed to...un-normal creepy?"

Sam blanched and scratched at the back of his neck. "Um...yeah! Sorry, it's just a family joke."

Isabel stopped, and smiled at him shyly, pushing in a segment of white gate, "This is it." If Sam had ever wondered what the dream house in the back of his mind looked like, he knew now. She was blushing again, "I know, it's a little white picket fairytale, but it's home. I grew up in this neighborhood and after my accident, I kind of wanted to come back. It just felt...right. Like I needed to be here." Sam followed her up the steps to the porch. It had a swing. Sam marveled at it. He heard her giggle again, "You know, that's the very first thing I fixed up. I love it. We can sit out here later if you want."

"Really?"

"Yeah, the cops are fine if I'm out on the porch, but only as long as I'm with Ion." She said, fitting the key from the lanyard around her neck into the lock.

A cheery voice broke the silence as she struggled with the old lock. "Isabel! Darling!"

Isabel sighed unhappily and rolled her eyes but turned around to look at a woman on the porch next door. "Mrs. Drake, how are you?"

The woman was older than Isabel, maybe in her mid to late forties, "Oh, dear, I'm just lovely. Grace brought the kids down. Grace said she wanted to see you. She was so thrilled to hear you were back! Oh, did I mention John-David came home too? He's dying to take you out to dinner. Would you like to come have dessert with us?"

Isabel put on a very convincing look of remorse and stunned Sam by putting her arm through his and taking a step closer to him, "Sorry, but I've already got plans with Sam tonight. I think having Grace over for lunch tomorrow would be fun though. Would you please tell her?"

The woman smiled, but was obviously disappointed, "Of course, dear. You two kids have fun tonight!"

When the woman went back into her house, Isabel lunged back to her door, "We've got to hurry, or she'll come back out with John-David."

Sam laughed and followed her inside, "So she's an overzealous mom?"

Isabel nodded, "Definitely. I think she's been trying to set me up with John-David since before I could walk. It's gotten to be really, really old." She nudged off her shoes and unclipped the dog from his leash, who bounded away. Something started to beep and Isabel hurried over to a keypad on the wall next to the door, an alarm system.

Looking around, Sam was struck by the homeyness of the house. It was by no means massive, but the way it was set up made it seem much larger. He looked out the window and out onto the street and was filled with dread when he saw something in the window sill. About a centimeter in diameter, a clear tube ran across the window and into a hole in the wall, and back out to the next window. The tube was filled with what was almost certainly salt crystals. "Isabel, what is this?" He asked, playing dumb. If she was a hunter, than once she realized who he was, she was bound to try to kill him.

She came over to him, looking around his shoulder, "I think it's salt. I don't know. My mom says it's to keep pests out. I never heard of anything like it, but I don't have any problem with ants so I guess it works." She didn't seem to be lying and put a hand on his arm, "Come on, you must be hungry and tired. You look like you've been on the road for a while."

"I have." Sam admitted, following her to a white, but practical kitchen, with a cut out behind one of the counters looking out unto a very cozy looking living room.

She had her head stuck in the stainless steel refrigerator, "I need to go to the grocery store. Do you mind if I make you a sandwich?"

"That's fine." Sam said, and the little silver phone she had set on the center island started buzzing.

Isabel pulled out of the fridge, holding a precariously balanced stack of plastic bottles and glad containers. She let the stack topple onto the counter and grabbed her phone, "This is Isabel." She had a bored look on her face, "Danny, come on. I'm fine. It was just another day." She looked surprised and annoyed at whatever the man on the phone said, "How the hell did you know about that?" She looked angry, "Would you please butt out? I don't need twenty-four hour supervision! I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself!" Yeah, she was definitely pissed, "Daniel! I'm only five years younger than you are!" She pulled the phone away from her face, looking aghast, "You are such a jerk! You're just angry because you're going to be thirty next week. I am not a child, Daniel, and I'm not going to be treated like one. Stop calling me every day. Tell Mom I love her." She snapped the phone closed and looked at Sam apologetically. "Sorry about that."

"Your brother?" Sam inferred.

She nodded, wincing, "Yeah, is it that obvious?"

Sam laughed at her face, "I have an older brother, so, yeah. It's pretty obvious."

"Well, damn. I was hoping to pull off normal for a few more hours." Isabel said, pulling out four pieces of wheat from the bread box on the counter. "Don't worry, as long as he doesn't know you're here, he won't bother actually showing his face. He likes to keep his distance." She was shoving her body into getting the plastic lid to go back on the bread box.

"Should I be worried?" Sam said, closing the container for her, earning a smile of appreciation.

"Nah, he's just super over protective since my accident. Apparently we fell apart while I was getting tattoos so he's just paranoid about 'keeping' me now." She made air quotes with her fingers and returned to spreading mayo on two of the bread slices. "Mustard or mayo?"

"Mayo." Sam answered.

The questions continued for the next ten minutes, and the sandwiches in front of Isabel grew. For her small size, her sandwich ended up being the same size as Sam's. She began putting it away efficiently, looking more like an eater at an eating contest than a tiny little blond. Sam was totally engrossed in watching her eat.

Upon seeing Sam's mystified look, she grinned, "My Mom always told me not to be afraid to eat what I want in front of guys, and...well..." She had the cutest expression on her face under her pink blush. "What can I say? I'm a fan of Scooby-Doo." Sam burst out laughing, nearly losing a bite of sandwich he'd taken. Her jaw dropped in indignation. She whacked him on the arm with her hand, "Jerk, don't laugh at me!" She kept swatting at him until his laughter wound itself down.

"I'm sorry!" He said, holding his hands up to protect his upper arm from her assault. "It's just..." He stopped, and the mood in the white kitchen was suddenly serious, "I'm a fan too. Most adults..."

She smiled again, amazed at how easy it was to smile around Sam, "Aren't into it anymore? Yeah, I know. I have the most amazing time with my little brother Jesse when he comes to visit. He gives me a reason to watch Scooby-Doo again."

"You have a little brother too?" Sam asked.

Isabel shrugged and squeezed an eye closed, "I sort of have two of them. They're adopted, but, yeah, they're my little brothers. They spend a weekend with me every once and a while, so I can get to know them."

"You don't know them?"

Isabel looked a little depressed, "My mom only recently adopted them. The two of them are something I forgot after my accident. It's been kinda hard trying to reconnect with them, but the three of us get along really well, so it's not as bad as it could have been." She laughed it off, "Apparently, I was a pretty awesome sister. They text me constantly." She moved off the barstool and started putting the sandwich fixings back in the fridge, stopping to polish off a bag of chips.

Sam finished his sandwich quickly, and began washing the dishes in the sink. "Your house, what I've seen of it is really nice."

She closed the pantry door, "Yeah, I've been fixing it up. Of the interior of this house, I did the kitchen first though, I'm happiest when I'm cooking, so it just made sense to have at least one sanctuary finished." She blushed, "That's not to say that I can cook well. I just really like cooking."

"Amazing." Sam whispered to himself, watching her denim covered ass when she bent over to put up the mayonnaise.

"So, what's up with your brother?" She asked innocently, "You haven't mentioned him."

Sam jerked his eyes from her body, "Um...I'm sort of dead to Dean now."

She cocked her head to the side, "Why's that?"

After a few moments of careful consideration, Sam decided to tell her as much of the truth as he could without scaring her to death and getting the cops called, "I got into a relationship he didn't approve of, and I...I said yes to a question Dean didn't approve of which caused me to skip out on him. I haven't talked to him in over a year. I'm pretty sure he's happier with me gone."

She put her hand on top of one of Sam's, "I'm sure that's not true." The look on her face was honest, "Come on, you still want to sit on the porch?"

He nodded, "Yeah, I do." The dog growled at him from his bed in the entry way and Isabel swatted him on the nose as they walked by.

"Sorry about him. He's nearly as protective as my brother." She sat down on the porch swing and pulled her knees up to her chest, patting the spot next to her, "Sit, your legs are longer, you get to do the manual labor."

Sam obliged her command, and examined the white beams of her porch. More tubes filled with salt lined the fencing, and at the opening for the steps, followed the wood down to the porch and across the crease of the top step. Whoever her mother was, she was in no way ignorant about demons. The idea of keeping the salt in tubing had actually never occurred to Sam, and it seemed a rather simplistic way to protect permanent residences. It would be especially effective in protecting people who didn't know what it was truly for.

Isabel sighed, "It's so pretty out here, you know, even though it's the suburbs. My mom would sit and watch the stars with me when she was home." She gave Sam an odd look, "You aren't really going anywhere, are you? You're just wandering."

"How?" Sam said, gapping like a fish at her.

She shrugged, "Just the feeling I get from you. You seem...tired."

"I am." He said quietly.

Isabel shifted next to him, and put a hand on his upper arm. "Stay here."

"What?" Sam said, legitimately dumbfounded.

Isabel took a deep breath, looking uncertain, "I can't help myself sometimes. I like taking care of people. I would have become a nurse, maybe a doctor, but you have to hurt patients sometimes. I couldn't do that, so I teach. You're lost. I know the feeling. My family helped me through the madness, but you don't have anyone. If you just keep doing whatever you have been, you're going to get yourself killed. Stay here."

"I couldn't mooch off you." Sam said, still trying to understand her words.

She nodded, "Okay, that's fine. I'll help you get a job and then you can pay me rent. I'm not certain what happened to you, but I woke up one day to find a year of my life missing. The last thing I remembered was being held by...some freaky as hell man. I didn't remember my brother finding me and saving me. When I woke up, I thought I was still there. They had to keep me on Haldol for a week so I wouldn't try to kill myself. I think you're in a similar place, and I want to help you. Will you let me?" Her blue eyes were studying his face, open and expressive. They were telling Sam that if he said no, he would still have a bed for at least one night.

Sam remembered what had happened the last time he had lived with a woman. But Isabel wasn't Jess. Besides, she apparently already had someone who cared about her secretly demon proofing her house. It would be easy to live with Isabel, she liked the same things that law student Sam liked, she had a heart so open she was bleeding kindness, she had a house out of a dream, and made sandwiches like nobody's business.

Stunning himself, Sam found his mouth moving of it's own volition, "Okay."

Isabel smiled widely at him, getting off the swing and holding her hand out to him, "Well alright then! Let me show you your new room."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Drop a comment if you want more! I can possibly get another chapter up tonight with some reviews!


	4. God's Will

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sammy gets a job!

**God's Will: Martina McBride**

Living with Isabel was so damned easy. The first two days had been amazing, and Sam already found himself falling for her. Which is why when he got up the third morning to make sure she didn't burn breakfast, he was concerned to find her sitting on the porch swing, a mournful cloud hanging over her, her knees tucked under her chin. "Isabel, what's wrong?"

 

She looked like she could cry. "The lady, who lives across the street, the one...who's been gone for the last week, Tanya, she came home last night. She came over here when I got the paper."

 

Sam sat down next to her. "Is she okay?"

 

Isabel shook her head and tears filled her big blue eyes, "Her son, Will, he's...God damnit! He's only eleven!" She put her face in her hands, "He's never been healthy, but this time, he's not going to make it. They found a tumor in his brain. They can't do any surgery for it and he's not strong enough to handle radiation or chemo. He's going to die!" Sam could only think to comfort her, and pulled her to his chest. She sobbed heartily, burying her face in the black T-shirt he'd worn to bed.

 

A half hour later it seemed, she calmed, pulling back and wiping at her eyes. "Better?" Sam asked softly, wiping a tear from her face.

 

She just shook her head again, "Not really. I have to call Jesse. He and Will, they're big pals." She cracked a sad smile, "They play video games online with each other all the time. He's going to be devastated." She looked back up at Sam, and he saw the hopeless terrified girl she spoke about in her blue eyes, "How am I supposed to tell him that?"

 

Sam shrugged, "I don't know. I think you should just tell him the truth. It will hurt less in the long run."

 

She sighed and stood, sniffing a bit, "You're right, you're right. I'll...be in my room. Um...go ahead and eat, I'm not real hungry anymore."

 

Sam followed her to her room, and sat outside the door, feeling like a freak for listening in on her conversation. He heard a voice mumble a greeting on the other end of the phone, "Hey, Adam, is...is Jesse awake yet?...Yeah, Tanya and Will got back last night...that's why I need to talk to Jesse...thank you...Yeah, I know...I love you too, you big lug." There was a pause for a while, "Jesse? Bud, can you sit for me?...Just sit please...I need to tell you what really happened while Will was on his trip."

 

She went on to tell the little boy that his friend had a brain tumor and was going to die. Sam was amazed that she kept her composure, even when he could hear the kid break down. "Oh, Jesse, don't say things like that. He won't be in pain anymore...Yeah, you can come visit him any time Mom will let you...No, Jesse, you can't do that. Mom would kill all three of us." She giggled a little, but the sound caught in her throat, "Adam, please don't encourage him. You've gotten in enough trouble this year for all of us. I've got to go...Take care of him...Tell Mom and Daniel I said hi...I love you boys, be safe." She clicked her phone shut and Sam heard her walk to the door.

 

In large steps, Sam hustled down the stairs and into the kitchen, and was almost done buttering a bagel when she showed her face. "How'd it go."

 

She sighed, but she looked better than she had earlier, "As good as things like that can go. My brothers want to come and visit now, but Mom would never allow that. Jesse has...emotional issues so she doesn't let him leave the house if he's too upset." She looked at the floor, "And he was definitely upset just then. Adam had to take the phone from him."

 

She fed Ion before speaking again, "Thank you."

 

"For what?" Sam asked, chowing down on his bagel.

 

Isabel gave him a little half smile, "Holding me while I was crying. My family...they never did that for me."

 

Sam could understand how she felt. There had been very few hugs growing up with John and Dean Winchester. "Mine wouldn't have either." He said, understanding that this was the first time either of them had really talked about their childhoods. "My Mom died in a fire when I was a baby and it kind of drove my Dad over the edge."

 

Isabel was looking at him with newfound respect in her eyes. "Come here." She said, and freaked Sam out by putting a hand down her nightshirt. "I want you to see this."

 

Seeing her pull a locket up relieved Sam more than it should have. She took the chain off of her neck and handed it to him. The locket held two pictures. One of a boy about six years old holding onto a cherubic looking blond toddler. The other was a family portrait set a few years later, Isabel looked about six or seven and the boy could have been a poster boy for the average ten year old, baseball cap and all.

 

The parents were astonishing. Her handsome blond father had a gruffness to him that reminded Sam of his own father, but the way he was holding Isabel spoke volumes. She was sitting on his knee, her head laid back against his chest with his arms wrapped around her, both looking at the camera. Her father had been the father John had never been, loving. Her mother was startling to look at, she was very tall, red haired, whip thin, and exceedingly beautiful. She didn't seem real.

 

But it was her eyes that really threw Sam. They were the same blue that Isabel's were, but the shape was different. She had the same eyes as Castiel. It was enough to make Sam decide that whoever Isabel's mother was, she was the one who had lined her daughter's house with salt. "That's really cool." Sam said, swallowing to clear his dry throat.

 

Isabel nodded, "It's my most treasured possession these days. My father was dead less than two months after that last picture. I was five. Tall for my age, but five. Daniel had just turned ten."

 

Sam couldn't imagine that. Which was worse, to never know a parent, or to be just old enough to remember stray things, without a clear picture in your head of them? "How did your father die?" Sam asked softly, lowering himself onto the tile to fix a leak under the sink they'd noticed the night before.

 

Isabel pursed her lips, "My mother would never tell me the details and the case file was sealed, but I was told that he was killed by a serial killer."

 

Oh yeah, her mother was definitely a hunter, Sam decided. "A serial killer?" Sam asked, using a wrench to tighten a loose nut.

 

She hopped up onto the counter next to the sink, "Yeah, it was twenty years ago, but I still remember walking into the house with my mother and finding what was left of him. I don't buy the story. There's no way one man could do all of that. The front of the house looked like someone had stuck a bomb in my father's chest and set it off. The blood..." She trailed off and when Sam looked up at her, her eyes were looking out the window at one of the houses down the street glassily.

 

"I'm sorry." He said, "I didn't mean to bring up those memories."

 

She looked at him, and for a second he thought she was going to start crying again, "Don't be." She grinned, "It's easy to talk to you. I don't mind." She chuckled darkly, "I should have been put into therapy, but my mother thought I didn't see anything. Enough doom and gloom. I have to go to work tomorrow, so let's go find you a job!" She jumped off the counter. "You've got fifteen minutes before we're leaving. Hop to it!"

 

Sam shook his head, knowing from the day before, when she had insisted they go out to breakfast before getting his car, that the girl was naturally pretty and as a result didn't normally wear makeup. The girl had gotten ready in ten minutes. And left him. She'd been idling down the street laughing her ass off when he had run out the door, hair wet, pulling his shirt over his head.

 

He ran up the stairs after her. Luckily, he had his own clothes and didn't have to wear the clothes Isabel said belonged to her brother. Smugly, Sam was back down the stairs in five minutes, leaning against the garage door. Isabel giggled when she saw him, "Come on, Shaggy." She said, thrusting coffee into his hand.

 

"Shaggy?" He asked, an eyebrow arched. She smiled slyly. He nodded with a shrug, "Okay, Daphne."

 

She looked at him aghast, picking up her car keys, "Daphne? Why not Velma?"

 

"You're blond." Sam said, like it made perfect sense.

 

She just looked at him, "Sam...Daphne's hair is red. Fred is the only character with blond hair, and I am not a guy."

 

Sam shrugged, folding himself into her little Ford, "How do I know that for certain? I just met you."

 

Isabel plopped into her seat, swinging her bag into the back of the car. She started the engine, and put her hands on the wheel before looking at Sam, "Well, maybe one day, you'll get a first hand look."

 

The small smile on her face was teasing, but Sam choked on his coffee. "What?"

 

Isabel laughed hysterically at the look on his face. "Oh my god, your face! I was just kidding!"

 

Sam sighed as she started driving, "Good, that's good. I mean not that... I'm not saying..."

 

She shook her head at him, "Sam, you're going to be better off not trying to explain yourself. You might hurt my fragile self esteem. Now, what sounds better to you, a mechanic, librarian, or shelver at the Easy-Mart? I'll warn you now, the manager at the Easy-Mart is a douche, he bullied me in third grade until my brother gave him a wedgie from hell."

 

"Nice to know...um...I guess the librarian?" He mumbled.

 

"Sounds good to me! They keep the city records there for the police. My aunt runs it, but her assistant quit, so she needs the help."

 

"Your aunt?" Sam asked as she pulled out of her garage.

 

Isabel nodded, "She's my dad's big sister. Her name is Alice Hastings, and she likes a man who brings her food. Her husband used to bring donuts to the library every morning when they lived together, but now she lives over the library. If you're lucky, she'll like you and you can work whatever hours you want."

 

"You know a lot about her work." Sam commented.

 

"I'm a teacher, the library is my summer job." She explained, pulling into the library parking lot. She put her car in park, "You're lucky, a small suburb like this, the school is right next to the library. I'll check in on you, but I'm sure you'll be fine."

 

"You're assuming I get the job." Sam said, working his way out of her car.

 

She chortled at him, "Sam, this is a work suburb. Most people who live here, don't work here, they drive the half hour into the city. People tend to move out after college. We're kind of a rarity. Plus, she is my aunt. As long as I vouch for you, she'll hire you."

 

"You're pretty confident." Sam said, smiling.

 

Isabel shut the door of her car and started to walk towards the brick building, "I am. She loves me, it's my mother she hates."

 

"Good to know." He said, holding the door open for her.

 

"Aunt Alice! You here?" She yelled, and Sam just looked at her, astounded that she was making such noise in a library.

 

"Yeah, definitely Daphne." Sam mumbled under his breath, but apparently loud enough for Isabel to hear judging by the glare she gave him.

 

"Belle!" A grey haired woman ran out from between the shelves. She flung her arms around Isabel, "You're home! When you called the other day, you said you were staying with her another week!"

 

"No, Aunt Alice, that was two weeks ago. Check your calendar." Isabel said patiently, used to the older woman's eccentricities.

 

Alice Hastings whipped out the leather book she kept with her at all times, flipping over the exorcism taped to the back of the front cover. She scanned the most recent pages with a critical stare, "Oh, yes, that was two weeks ago...I'm sorry dear. What can I do for you today? That cookbook you ordered isn't in yet, but I did get in the most lovely pastry book..." She noticed Sam and stopped, stepping closer to her niece, "Belle, who's this?"

 

"Aunt Alice, this is Sam Wesson. He's looking for a job." She smiled at him, "I was thinking he would be a good fit for helping you out."

 

The woman put her glasses on and examined Sam. She might have been fifty and grey, but she hadn't lost her appreciation for a good looking man, "Well, he's handsome, Belle, but where did you find him? I've never seen him before around here."

 

Sam expected Isabel to lie, but she didn't. "I picked him up after his car broke down."

 

A female voice responded, in a mocking English accent, "Isabel, that's dangerous!"

 

Isabel looked a little disgruntled, "Macy, I'm not a child!"

 

A girl about Isabel's age that looked like a younger, prettier, version of Alice came down the stairs, "I know!" She looked Sam up and down and he felt increasingly uncomfortable. She didn't look like the kind of person who put much stock in what was in a man's head, just about the size of what was in his pants.

 

Isabel glared, edging herself in front of Sam, "I didn't know you were home, Macy."

 

"I had to visit sometime. Unless you've forgotten, she's my mother, not yours." She met Isabel's glare, running a hand through her own brown hair.

 

"Girls, don't fight. Please, I'm interviewing Sam here. Why don't you two go have some girl time on another floor." Alice said, waving the cousins away, taking Sam by the arm, "Come, let's check your eyes. You can't be working in my library if you can't see."

 

"Sure." Sam said, watching the girls go upstairs before following Alice to the basement.

 

"Those girls, they were fighting before they were even born. I'd hate to think that I'm the reason they hate each other. Ronnie and I never got along, and we were pregnant with the girls at the same time. I think the dissension trickled down in utero. I love Isabel though, like she was my own. I spent more time with her than I did my own Macy. Of course that's because her bastard father took her away and raised her in England." The woman talked more than Isabel did.

 

She tested his sight and quizzed him on filing system arrangements. She hired him, and set him to work right then. "I'm going to go make sure the girls haven't killed each other. One day, they're going to tear each other apart. You have half an hour to finish or I'm going to have to fire you. It would be a shame too, you seem like a nice boy."

 

Sam finished in twenty minutes and walked back up the wooden stairs. Macy and Isabel were locked in a heated argument, both girls nearly red faced. Alice was standing helplessly watching, shaking her head.

 

"Um...I'm done...Ms. Hastings." He said over the noise of the cat fight.

 

The old woman smiled apologetically at him, "Thank you, dear. And please, call me Aunt Alice. Most people do. Since Macy came, I'm going to close for the day." She looked at the girls, "You might want to take Isabel back to her house before you go home."

 

Sam winced, "Actually, I'm staying at her house."

 

Alice looked surprised, not disapproving, but rather wry, "Good for Isabel. She's had it a lot harder than the most of us." She looked at him critically, "I know who you are, Sam Winchester." Sam jumped away from her, pulling his gun out of the back of his jeans. Alice held out her hands, a calm smile on her face, "Put that away. Missouri and I are friends. She sends her regards."

 

"Missouri?" Sam said, moving the gun so it was hidden from the girls who were obliviously still fighting with each other.

 

Alice nodded, ushering him into the back room, "Yes, we write each other weekly, to share visions and batter recipes. Things like that."

 

"You're psychic?" Sam asked, wondering if she had demon proofed Isabel's house.

 

"Yes, I am psychic, but no, I am not the one who proofed her house. That was her mother." Alice said, "My brother and I came from a long line of Hunters just like you do. I just happen to be a psychic as well."

 

"Isabel's father was a Hunter? Does that mean..." Sam was interrupted by the woman.

 

"Yes, my brother was killed by a demon. Ronnie wouldn't let me hunt the thing down though. Ronnie, Isabel's mother, is a real secretive bitch. We didn't ever get along, especially not after she married my brother. I'd have killed her if Joseph hadn't made sure she was human. Pray you never meet her." Alice said, her voice bitter.

 

"Is she a Hunter too?" Sam questioned.

 

"Not exactly. She's just aware and protective. I've had to grudgingly accept that her tubed salt is a good idea, but I'd never tell her that." Alice had the look in her eyes that said something was going to die.

 

"It is a good idea." Sam said, "I hadn't really thought about it either. Have you seen anything about me?"

 

Alice looked at Isabel through the open door, "I like you, Sam, I really do. You'll be good for her." She turned her sharp eyes back to him, "I'm going to tell you a few things right now, just so you're not caught off guard. She doesn't know anything of our world...at least not anymore. Your relationship with her will never be conventional so you'll be best off just letting things happen and not trying to control too much. Also, stay here. You're needed here for now. You'll know when it's time for you to go, and you won't go alone."

 

"Anything else I need to know?" Sam said, glad to see Macy stomp up the stairs.

 

Alice grinned, showing off a missing tooth, "Of course there is! If you hurt her, I will kill you. I don't care who you are."

 

Sam blanched, relieved when Isabel appeared in the door, "Ready to go, Shaggy? I want to take you to Nicky's for lunch."

 

Alice nodded her head and Sam put on a smile, glad to have the older Hunter around. He slung an arm around Isabel's shoulder, amazed by the ease of the contact when she rested her head on his shoulder. "I'm ready, Daphne."

 

She glared at him. "Velma."

 

"Daphne."

 

"Velma..."


	5. Just A Kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are starting to heat up!

Just A Kiss: Lady Antebellum   
After a heated and close debate, Sam finally agreed to give Isabel the nickname of Velma. Of course that was only after he had caught her reading on the porch with a pair of wide rimmed black reading glasses. To him, she had been adorable. She’d thrown the book at him.

He was loving living in Castlewood. For the first time in a long time, he had found a place that made him feel like he was home.

He'd been living with Isabel for a month. His car was fixed, he could leave, but he found that he didn't want to. He had a job, a place to live, and a pretty girl to sit on the front porch swing with, a dog at their feet. Everyday, he found more things that amazed him about Isabel. She was smart, and had a quick wit.

In the back of his mind, she reminded him of a female Dean. Well...a mannered and outwardly intelligent Dean. They would get along really well if they ever met, but that wouldn't happen. There wasn't a sign of anything too supernatural in Castlewood, no reason for Dean to ever come to the tiny town. Although Sam had heard strange things about one house a few blocks over from Isabel's. However, the part of his mind that never wanted to leave Castlewood...or Isabel...made him keep his distance from the house.

After discovering that he had gone to pre-law, Isabel and Alice had accumulated law books for him. Isabel was determined to help him get back into law school. She was definitely one of those people who wanted everyone around them to achieve their dreams. Alice had already ordered him a few textbooks and scrounged up what the library had in stock for him. A part of him felt like he had finally come full circle.

Isabel was feeling the same way too. She’d had a tough day with the kids in her class, and going home to Sam had been a relief. He always seemed to have a smile for her. Just that had been enough to brighten the last few weeks. She had quickly come to terms with the fact that she enjoyed having a human to come home to, instead of just Ion, and that line of thinking also made her realize that she was sort of fascinated with Sam.

He was beautiful for a man. He moved with a grace that didn't seem to fit with such a large body, and there was an innate kindness in everything he did, but Isabel got the distinct feeling that he was trying to make up for something he had done in his past. It might have even been whatever had pulled him and his brother apart. Although she got the sense that Sam sort of hated himself, he didn't hold back on his kindness for others.

Isabel had gone over to see the sick boy across the street, Will, the morning after she had gotten Sam his job. Sam had gone with her due to the fact that Aunt Alice had called at three in the morning, waking them both up, to tell Sam that she felt like sleeping until noon and didn't need him at work until one.

Seeing Isabel holding the freakishly thin eleven year old did strange things to Sam. The kid had practically jumped into her arms when they got to the door. "Izzy!"

Isabel had rolled her eyes, but the smile on her face told Sam that she really didn't mind if Will called her Izzy. "Hey, Will, you ready to play?"

The boy looked up at Sam and whispered rather loudly into Isabel's ear. "Who's that?"

"That's my friend Sam. Do you mind if he plays with us today?" Isabel said, kissing the side of the boy's bald head.

He studied Sam with critical, but nonetheless alert blue eyes before nodding. "I guess, but I want to be the puppy."

Isabel laughed, "Always, Will, always." The boy's mother waved slightly from the doorway of the kitchen. "Hey, Tanya." Isabel said softly, returning the tentative wave.

"Mom, Izzy brought a friend, can I have Jesse come play?" The boy said, laying his head on Isabel's shoulder.

Tanya gave a pained smile, "No, not today, Will, he's at home. Maybe another time." She held a hand out to Sam, "I'm Tanya, Will's mother. It's nice to meet you, Sam."

"Same to you." Sam said, feeling like an outsider. Tanya was in her thirties, dark haired and very worn looking. Her eyes were red like she had been crying constantly, which, Sam guessed, she probably had been.

If he could imagine being a father, Sam couldn't imagine knowing that his child was going to die without having really lived.

Coming out of his thoughts, Sam realized that Isabel and Will had moved to sit at a small table in the kitchen area. Isabel was setting out Monopoly, making Will giggle at whatever she was saying. Sam hadn't seen her interact with any children before, but just be seeing her with Will told him that that she was fantastic at her job.

She pulled her blond hair out of her eyes and the movement drew Sam's attention to her face. Isabel just had this look about her, she looked so innocent, but was in no way childlike past the glow she put off. She was thin, but unlike most women, had hips and...breasts. Not that Sam spent all that often looking at her while she was attempting to cook or lounging on the sofa every night...

Sam joined them at the table and, for the first time in his life, played a game of Monopoly. Isabel had laughed her ass off when he'd admitted that he had no idea how to play, but Will had taken him under his wing and taught him how to play.

Even though he was pale and bald, at first Will showed no real outward signs of his terminal illness. As their game went on, however, Sam saw the little boy's energy drain. Isabel took the boy to his bedroom when she noticed that he was getting tired, allowing him to lean on her as she helped him to his room. They curled up together, and Sam watched them from the doorway as they began their nap. The instant Will fell asleep, the tension on his face faded.

"Isabel has the most amazing way with him." Tanya said from behind Sam, her voice soft. "Sometimes, when they go to sleep together, it's like he's not in pain anymore. If I didn't know any better, I'd think she was magic."

"Magic?" Sam echoed, analyzing Isabel for what had to have been the hundredth time.

"Yeah, Isabel, she just has something about her that makes sick children forget their physical pain. That's the most Will has smiled in weeks." Tanya gave Sam a watery smile, "I want to thank you as well. He enjoyed teaching you the game. Children like Will...they like to do things that give them purpose. You helped him today, even if you don't know it or understand it. Thank you for that."

"It was my pleasure." Sam said.

Tanya gave him her first real smile of the morning, "I like you, Sam. You're good for her."

"Good for her?" Sam said dumbly.

"Isabel deserves someone good. Isabel has never had an easy life, but she's this town's angel. Everyone who's met her loves her. I can see it in her eyes. There's a light that wasn't there before. It's because of you." Tanya explained gently to Sam.

"We're just friends!" Sam exclaimed.

Tanya gave him a sly smile, "And Big Ben is just a clock." She looked down at her wristwatch, "You two should leave soon if you're going to go to work with Alice."

Sam roused Isabel and she dropped him off at the library before going home. When he got home that afternoon, Ion had greeted him at the door followed closely by Isabel who had given him a small smile before heading back to the kitchen to finish making dinner.

He was sitting in Isabel's living room reading one of the books he'd been given when she sat down next to him. "Sam, you want to go walking with us tonight?" She asked, Ion at her side with his leash on.

"Sure." He said, closing the book.

Isabel seemed unusually quiet while they walked down her street. She was struggling with the battle between her heart and her head.

"Are you okay?" Sam asked, counting the lines they stepped over in the concrete.

Isabel nodded, "Yeah, I'm alright. I just...never mind."

"What is it?" He asked, petting Ion on the top of the head.

Isabel instantly felt her face heat, "It's stupid. I'm being stupid. Forget it." She walked faster, keeping her head down to hide the fact that her face was bright red. She couldn't bare for him to be aware of her insecurities. They walked in silence and went their separate ways when they arrived back to Isabel's house.

They'd both nearly died of embarrassment when she walked in on him later that night while he was in the bathroom just after his shower. Thank God he'd had a towel around his waist, but even that hung low on his hips, leaving very little to Isabel's imagination.

Isabel had flushed and retreated to her bedroom with a squeak, skipping dinner just to avoid him...of course they both had that idea and nearly scared each other to death in the kitchen hunting for an after midnight snack. Sam had scared her, and not in a comical way. He'd drawn a knife, and, with his massive frame, pinned her against her refrigerator.

They both just stared at each other, pulling in deep draws of air. Sam was trying to calm himself down. Isabel had come up behind him, and although he had made sure the first few nights that she wasn't a demon, instinct had nearly drawn him to stabbing her. Once he reminded himself of who and what she was, Sam became aware of how he was pressed against her.

His knife was at her throat, but his body was definitely reacting to her proximity. "Isabel?" He whispered, still not letting her loose.

Her eyes were wide and slightly panicked, "Yeah, it's me." She moved slightly so she could breath a little easier, but stopped when she felt the telltale bulge in the front of Sam's pajama pants. "Sam?"

Isabel should have been frightened, the look in his eyes certainly warranted it, but she wasn't. She was overcome with a distinct feeling that everything would be just fine. He just need to catch his bearings, an unknown voice said in her head. It sounded like her, but it wasn't, not really.

Of all of the voices that Isabel heard in her head, most weren't new, they'd been with her for her entire life, and they never spoke to her. She was pretty good at tuning them out. She'd been doing it her whole life, but this one voice refused to be ignored.

This new voice seemed to know more about Sam than Isabel did. It was the same voice that had told her what the tattoo on her shoulder said, that explained that the strange writings on the outside of the house were for her protection, and never to break the salt tubes around the house.

The voice had started talking to her after she had woken up after the missing year, and Isabel had the sinking feeling that the voice was the girl who had lived that year. That girl was like a dragon struggling to wake up. It was times like this that she stirred, throwing out bits of knowledge to keep the real Isabel alive.

Of course she was intimately aware of the fact that Sam's very prominent erection was pressed up against her core, rubbing her as they breathed. A few minutes later, he stepped back, dropping the knife on the counter next to them, "God, Isabel, I'm so sorry. I'll leave in the morning. I'm just...so sorry..." He mumbled, grabbing an apple and walked away, looking like he wanted to slice his own wrists.

Isabel rushed after him down the moonlit hallway, grabbing him by the back of his shirt, "Sam, it's okay."

He turned around, there was a pain in his green-blue eyes that didn't belong on his handsome face. "No, it's not. I could have killed you. I knew it was a bad idea to stay."

She forced him to face her fully, resting her hands on his chest so she could look him directly in the face, "You didn't though. I'm alive, I'm just fine. You didn't even scratch me." She pulled back her blonde hair to show him her unmarked neck.

"I could have though." He looked guilty and Isabel put her hand on his cheek.

"But you didn't, Sam, I'm okay." She insisted, "You were a soldier, weren't you?" Isabel asked softly, drawing up an image of Sam in fatigues. The image did nothing to quell her growing attraction to the strange man.

He winced, "Sort of. Just not in your average sense."

"I thought so." Isabel said, giving him his space again, assuming that he had been part of a covert group. "You must have really terrible nightmares. You yell in your sleep."

Guilt turned to panic in an instant, "What have I said?"

Isabel shrugged, "Mostly just telling Dean you're sorry."

"What else did I say Isabel?" He said like he was talking to an unruly child.

She shook her head, trying to remember the things she'd heard half asleep, jolted awake by Sam's muted yelling. "Um...you mention someone named Bobby. That's it, really, I mean one night you were hollering about demons being killed by angels, but I figured that was just a normal nightmare."

"Oh, that's good...really really good." He said with a slight smile.

He looked so relieved, like he had a secret he was afraid he had revealed in his fitful sleep, "Sam, if you need to... you can talk to me. It's not you against the world. Let me help you, or you're going to end up with PTSD or something."

"I couldn't do that, not to you." He said, the angry panic extinguished, to be replaced by what, if she wasn't mistaken, was true affection.

"Well, than at least talk to my Aunt Alice. She probably won't remember a word you say, but it might be good for you to talk to someone. You know, just to get it off your chest. It uh...well..I've heard it helps.'' She shook her head, "Don't listen to me, I'm probably the last person to take mental advice from. I mean, I hear voices in my head sometimes."

He looked disturbed and Isabel wished she could have taken the last sentence back, "You hear voices in your head?"

"It's just a hum, they don't tell me to kill people or anything. They just yell at each other. I'm not crazy!" Isabel rushed, suddenly wanting to return to the safety of her bedroom.

Sam smiled at her, his face full of a gentleness that put her off balance, "It's okay." And suddenly he was comforting her, cupping her face in his hands, "I don't think you're crazy. I don't think I ever could. You're one of the most normal people I've ever met."

Isabel chortled, relaxing, "Than I'm afraid you've had a piss poor encounter with people. I might not be crazy, but I'm certainly not normal, Sam. I’ve never been normal."

"I feel the same way about myself." He whispered, intently watching her face, searching it for any trace of fear. There was none. As she had been with his knife against her throat in the kitchen, she was fearless. Her blue eyes just stared steadily back at him.

When the urge to kiss her came up again, Sam didn't resist. He crashed his lips down on hers and tried to draw comfort from her lips. It took her a few seconds to respond, and not to push him away, but to slide her arms around his back and draw herself closer to him. They were ravenous, but still gentle with each other. Sam put a hand on the back of her head, locking her into the kiss, and she didn't mind at all.

When they were both breathless, Isabel sighed against him, "You alright?" Sam asked.

Isabel grinned like an idiot, "That was possibly the best first kiss I've ever had." She couldn't stifle her yawn and laughed at herself. "I think we should go to bed now."

"Yeah, that would be nice." Sam said, nearly breathless.

Isabel was certain that whatever she had with Sam was going to be incredible, and it would be better if they took it slow. There couldn't be any rushing this, the voice in the back of her mind said, and Isabel actually agreed. She didn't want Sam to be like all of the other men she had dated. She went up to her room with that silly smile on her face.

A few minutes later, Sam came into her room, not being able to handle being away from her. Isabel took his hand and pulled him onto her bed. "Goodnight, Sam." She said, curling up next to him when he put an arm around her. Sam fell asleep feeling like he was supposed to stay with Isabel. She wasn't Jessica. He wouldn't lose her. And as it seemed, he wasn't the only one protecting her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think!


	6. Run

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things heat up between Isabel and Sam!

Run: Matt Nathanson (feat. Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush)

The novelty of their relationship didn't wear off as they got closer. Sam told her everything he could, referring to his time spent on the road with Dean as a countrywide sightseeing venture. Aunt Alice was a fairly easy boss, and he hadn't seen Macy since that first day at the library. Isabel frankly refused to talk about her, only referring to the British girl as her childhood bully.

They'd been dating unofficially for nearly a month and a half, and although they hadn't talked about it, they were both nearly ready to make it official, to actually have the conversation. Isabel couldn't imagine not swinging by the library every afternoon to pick Sam up, not talking with him while they walked hand in hand around the subdivision, not going into his room in the middle of the night to sooth his nightmares, but most of all, she couldn't imagine not seeing the way he looked at her when he thought she wasn't paying attention.

Of course that also caused him to slice into his hand while he was cutting an apple. "Damn it!" Sam yelled, dropping the small kitchen knife on the counter.

Isabel ran to him, but he had covered the injury with his other hand. "Sam, stop, let me look at it!" He moved his uninjured hand to the side, but blood was obscuring the wound. "That's really deep, Sam. You have some anger issues?" She asked, arching her eyebrows teasingly. He whined a little and she laughed at him.

"Isabel, please, this isn't funny. It hurts like crap!" His pain tolerance seemed to have lowered from before. He’d been keeping in shape, but without getting banged around and sliced all the time, his brain seemed to have forgotten what pain felt like.

Isabel laughed again, raising his hand so it was almost above his head, "It's deep, you're going to need stitches."

Sam cursed, "I can't go to a hospital, Isabel."

She was almost used to his avoidance of hospitals by now, but it still amused her to no end to see the giant man get so anxious about it. Everyone was afraid of something, and if Sam was afraid of hospitals, so be it. It didn't change the fact that she felt herself fall more and more for him everyday.

"Don't worry, my mother’s an ER nurse. While I was in high school she made me work part-time at the hospital during the summers. The other nurses said I was a natural. Something about a soothing nature."

"I can see that." Sam whispered.

"I can stitch myself up one hell of a wound." Isabel assured him, going to her bathroom to retrieve the suture kit her mother had made sure she had. Bet Veronica Hastings had never imagine that Isabel would be stitching up a man in her kitchen.

"Awesome." Sam muttered and watched Isabel cautiously as she put the plastic container on her countertop.

"You're dripping blood everywhere." She said, looking him over, "Take your shirt off." She ordered, waving her hands at him.

Sam balked, "What?"

"You're getting blood on your shirt. If you get too much more on it, I won't be able to get it out in the wash. Now, off!" Isabel said, tapping her foot, the disinfectant in her hand.

Using his uninjured hand, Sam pulled his button down shirt off his body, lifting it over his bleeding limb. "You just want to see me without my shirt, don't you?" He said, smiling at her.

Isabel giggled and shrugged, "Maybe, maybe not. Scoot towards the sink so I can clean your hand right."

Sam obeyed but shook his head at her. This was only the second time he'd been shirtless around her intentionally. The first had been when she'd taken him to the neighborhood pool to meet all of the neighbors. She'd kept her open fronted coverup on the entire time, but had insisted that Sam take his T-shirt off.

She had noticed almost immediately that the tattoo on his chest matched the one on her ankle. When she had asked him what it meant, Sam had told her the truth...sort of. So now she was under the assumption that the tattoo was an ancient symbol of protection. Sam just left out the 'against demons' part, not to mention about it being very functional.

Sam clenched his jaw when she poured the disinfectant into the cut. He must have made some noise because she flinched and muttered, "Sorry!"

"It's...okay." He said through his teeth when she stopped to let the liquid work, going back to her plastic box.

Isabel smiled at him easily, threading the needle, "You know, you're the best patient I've ever had. I'm impressed. I would have thought the 'F'word would have been every other word out of your mouth with a cut like this."

"I've had worse."

Her blue eyes darkened and she traced over one of the bullet hole scars on his chest, "I noticed. Still, I'm impressed. Just keep holding still and it'll be done in just a few minutes."

"Got it doc." Sam said, kissing her cheek, "What ever you say."

Isabel planted one on his lips, "Don't you forget it. But really, hold still. I don't exactly do this everyday." That was so not what Sam had wanted to her to say, but she was much quicker than Dean had ever been, not to mention neater. "If you're lucky, it won't scar."

"Awesome." Sam said sarcastically as she wrapped his hand with gauze. Isabel finished cutting his apple, which, unlike his shirt, had remained bloodless, and helped him eat it.

He followed her back into the kitchen as she was cleaning up from their dinner and threw the apple core in the trash, "What are we going to do tonight? I think Law & Order is on."

"Isabel, Law & Order is always on. But I don't mind, whatever you want to do."

"Whatever I want?" Isabel kissed the tattoo on his chest, "You know, I never thought I'd find tattoos sexy." She whispered.

Sam shook his head, "You are nuts."

She settled herself between his thighs, running her fingers over his muscled chest. "That is quite possibly the nicest thing anyone's said to me all day."

"That's sad." Sam said, pulling his good hand through her blond hair. "You are so beautiful."

She grinned, "You're not too bad to look at yourself you know."

He shrugged, "I do, but only because you keep reminding me." He switched their positions so fast she had to take a few seconds to realize that she had landed on the countertop.

"Sam, I hate it when you do that!" She growled, "How can you move so fast? You're the one driving me nuts!"

"You love it though, don't you?" Sam said, the feel of her against his body fueling his cocky smile.

She kissed him, long and slow, whispering above his lips, "Yeah, and I love you too."

Sam jerked her forward off the counter and she wrapped her legs obediently around his waist, "How about we take this somewhere else?" Without letting her answer, Sam crushed his lips to hers and carried her quickly up the stairs.

He fumbled with the handle on his door, but got through it quickly. Isabel gasped when her body dropped onto his bed. She clung to his broad shoulders, arching into him when he started to unbutton her shirt. Once it was off, he started to run his hands up her sides, "I never thought I'd feel like this again."

Isabel's smile was one of pure understanding, even underneath cheeks that were flushed with arousal, "I'm glad you got to feel it with me. There's nothing I want more right now than you."

Sam took her words as an invitation to begin ravishing her body. Having her heaving for air under him drew on the part of his mind that would always crave demon blood. His time with Ruby came to mind, the nights they had spent together, but he pushed the images away, only choosing to remember the ideas. Sex with Ruby had been a fight for dominance, but Sam knew that sex with Isabel would be different.

She would let him win.

He kissed her lips and moved down from there, paying special attention to the smooth, pale valley between her breasts, his hand resting between her legs, "Where do you want me next, Isabel?" He said, his voice dark. 

Isabel moaned and buried her hands in his hair, "Unh..."

"That's not an appropriate response, baby girl." He growled, nipping at her skin, his teeth grazing just hard enough to draw her away from the pleasure in order to get an appropriate response.

"Sam!" She cried out when he pressed his hand against her clothed core.

"Yes, Isabel? Tell me, where do you want me? What do you want me to do?" He cupped her breasts, "Do you want me to put these in my mouth? Do you want me to suck on them?" She groaned and rubbed herself against his knee. "I think you do, but you have to say it pretty girl."

"Please!" She shrieked, "Please, yes! I want...you to...suck on my nipples." She admitted, her face flushed.

"Good girl." Sam cooed, undoing her bra with his uninjured hand, "Let me give you what you want then. That sound good?"

She nodded quickly, unable to form words after his lips descended on her right nipple, working it into a hard peak before moving to the left. Once he was done with her breasts, he moved farther down, teasing the soft skin above her waistband.

When he reached for the button on her jeans, Isabel froze. Things between them hadn't ever gotten so heated before, so close to going all the way, and Isabel was suddenly very aware that things could go no further. Their timing was crappy. "Sam. Sam! Stop!"

"What?" He asked breathlessly, worried that he had in some way hurt her, but too anxious to see the rest of her to stop undoing her pants.

Isabel put her hands on top of his to still them, "Baby, stop, we can't do this."

Rejection slapped Sam in the face and he staggered back, looking like she’s punched him, "Why? I thought you wanted me."

Isabel rubbed her face in distress, "I do, but...God this is embarrassing...it's that time of the month." There was no response on Sam's face, no indication that he'd heard what she had said. "Sam, really, it's not you. I just know that it's usually a mood killer when..."

"It's okay." Sam said, cutting her off before sitting next to her on the rumpled sheets and pulling her naked torso to his, "I understand." He laid them back and started tracing circles on her back with his fingers, "Thank's for warning me. I'm sorry I didn't notice earlier."

Isabel sighed, immensely relieved that he wasn't getting angry. "It's not exactly something most women advertise. But...I guess I should have stopped you sooner."

Sam smiled cockily, "You were a little distracted."

"I know!" She whined, "Good grief, you had me reduced to acting like some sort of slutty virgin! And our pants weren't even off! What kind of guy can do something like that?"

He laughed, and Isabel loved the sound of it with her ear against him. "Yeah, I told you, I'm not your average guy."

"Well if that is one of your non-average guy things, we're going to be just fine." Isabel said, pulling away from him, "I'm going to go take care of some...stuff. You want anything while I'm downstairs feeding Ion?"

Sam marveled at the domesticity, "Nah, I'm fine. I think I'll take a shower though." He said, standing up, straightening his pants in a manner he hoped wasn't too obvious.

Isabel bit her lip and looked at the bulge in the front of his pants, "You don't have to take care of that yourself. Just because I'm partially off limits doesn't mean you are too."

If anything could have made Sam any harder, it was those words with the innocent look on Isabel's face. Oh yeah, she was definitely not that innocent, and that only made her that much more compelling. They were going to be spending a lot of time in his bedroom now.

She edged towards him on her hands and knees, a wide smile on her face, "Lay down, Sam."

"So now you're the bossy one?" He mocked as he sat next to her on the bed. "What happened with getting Ion food?"

Isabel kissed him like she was trying to consume him, "Well, you're horny. He won't starve if he gets fed late. Just let me take care of you for now."

"Isabel, you don't have to, really. I'm used..." Isabel crushed her lips to his, stifling his objection.

When she pulled back, Sam just stared at her. "I wasn't offering, Sam, I’m demanding."

He laughed breathlessly, “Then by all means, don’t let me stop you.”

Isabel grinned, “Hadn’t planned on it.” He watched her every move as she unbuttoned his pants. After an agonizing minute of her teasing him, she stopped with her lips inches from the head of his cock. Her blue eyes were ernest, “Show me what to do, Sam.”

Far more aroused by her words, Sam cupped her cheek in his non-injured hand and moved her towards his cock, “I think you know what to do. Suck, Isabel.”

And she did. Sam’s eyes were rolled back in his head the instant her lips closed on him. She was by no means a pro, but her little kitten licks coupled with the way she kept the fingers of her left hand entwined with his, had him spilling over the edge far sooner than he would have liked.

Isabel crawled up his body to lay next to him, her bare chest pressed against his as he tried to catch his breath. Sam pushed some of her hair out of her face, “You didn’t have to do that.”

Isabel smiled, licking a bit of his come from the corner of her mouth, “I know.” Sam squeezed her to him in a sudden movement, causing her to give a little startled squeak before she settled in, her head on his chest. “You know something, Sam?” He grunted, reaching to turn off the light. Isabel continued, “I am sorry we couldn’t go all the way.” She laughed a little, stretching of so her lips were at his ear in the darkness, “I’ve never wanted to before.” Sam stilled completely, and Isabel laughed again, “I’m a virgin, Sam.”

Sam was hard instantly, but couldn’t help but think how terrible that made him. Running his fingers through her hair, he imagined all of the debauched things he wanted to do with her, to her. Tonight, she’d proved exactly what he’d innately assumed. Wether she knew it or not, she was submissive, and he couldn’t possibly want to exploit that submissiveness if he wanted to. He didn’t just want to exploit her though, he wanted to take care of her. Isabel fell asleep to his warm hands on her bare back while he dreamed about taking what she’d never given anyone else.

When she dozed off, Isabel was nestled against Sam's long body, but, regardless of her physical contentment, the nightmares that had been haunting her for weeks returned.

It was always the same dream: she was running for her life down a stereotypical dark alley. There was a man in front of her, one with a chiseled face she found insatiably attractive, but he was running from the same thing she was, a thing she had never laid her dream-eyes on. He would jump up and grab onto a fire-escape, pulling himself to safety, but he was never able to pull her up to safety with him. Unseen claws would drag against her legs as the man fought to save her, but every night, Isabel would wake panting, her chest feeling like it had been ripped open.

She was getting pretty used to going through her day with very little sleep. Waking curled on top of Sam had a sort of calming effect on her, but she still found getting back to sleep elusive. So she extracted herself from the heavy arm that he had draped over her hips protectively, grabbed her silk robe, and went downstairs.

Isabel was cooking breakfast when Sam came downstairs the next morning, "You want help?" He asked, watching her fight with the bacon in the pan.

She shook her head, "No, no, I've got it. If a caveman learned how to cook over fire, I can do it."

Sam just shook his head, Isabel could make food really well as long as there wasn't more heat involved than boiling pasta. "Okay, just let me know if you need my help."

"I won't!" She said confidently.

"I hope not." He said softly. Five minutes later however, she was yelling, and Sam was trying to put out a small kitchen fire.

She shook her head when he had stifled the little flames. "I'm glad you were here, or I might have burned the house down."

"Not a problem." He was only wearing his boxers, giving Isabel a full view of his back side in the light.

"I've been meaning to ask why you got this tattoo." She whispered, tracing the one that rested just above the waistline of his low riding boxers.

"What?" Sam said, unaware he had more than one tattoo.

"This one here, it says 'Hope' in the same language as mine." She said.

Sam didn't know what to say. He knew that some of the symbols on her shoulder were Enochian, and how she could read it was nearly as alarming as learning that he had one too. It was too weird to just be a coincidence, and if she was 'Love' and he was 'Hope', then who was 'Faith'?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be where Sam and Isabel finally get it on! The chapter after that will finally bring in Dean! Drop me some comments please! Kudos are appreciated too!  
> -Jenn


	7. Demons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam and Isabel work a few things out, and we finally get a glimpse of Dean!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one took so long. I added this whole chapter into what I already had because it's a spot that I felt needed some more expansion. I'm not 100% happy with how it turned out, but I felt bad about making you guys wait any longer! Enjoy & Comment!

Ion greeted Sam at the door a few nights later. He’d expected Isabel to be on the porch, given the might evening, but she was nowhere in sight. He’d worked late because she had an Open House at the school, and Alice had taken the opportunity to have him move three sections of books. Why she kept having him move things in the mostly unused sections of the library, he had no clue.

Sam found Isabel curled up in front of the fireplace. “Hey,” She said solemnly.

He sat down next to her, “What’s wrong, Izzy?”

“Nothing.” She said, sniffing slightly.

“What happened at the school tonight?” Sam asked.

“I don’t want to talk about it.” Isabel replied, furiously wiping her eyes.

“Isabel, tell me what’s wrong.” Sam said sternly.

She set her jaw, “No.”

Her tone snapped something in side of him, “What did you just say to me?”

Her cheeks flushed, and a fire roared to life in her eyes. She looked up at him daringly, “I said ‘No.’.”

Sam walked towards her slowly, watching how her breathing hiked with every step closer he got. “Why would you tell me no?” He asked, cupping her face in his hands, “That’s rude, Isabel.”

Her mouth opened slightly, and she bit her lower lip, “I’m not telling you.”

Sam had her off the chair in an instant, pinning her to the floor. Isabel’s chest heaved underneath him, “You’re on thin ice, Isabel. What happened?” He accented his words by biting over her jugular.

Isabel went slack, and she looked sad, “Some of the moms were talking about you.”

Sam sat back a little, putting a little of his weight across her hips so he could brush her hair out of her face, “What were they saying?”

She closed her eyes and leaned into his hand, “That you’re too good for me. That I’m just a little girl and you’re a man, and you couldn’t possibly be in love with me. I’m a screw up with a murdered dad, and they don’t really want me around their kids.”

Sam scoffed, “Izzy, do you really believe any of that?” The pitiful look on her face told him she did, “Why? Izzy, you’re the one who’s too good for me. You’re sweet, and quirky, and for some reason, you actually like spending time with me. Those kids, they’re lucky to have you as their teacher.”

“I more than like spending time with you, Sam.” Isabel said, rolling her hips underneath him.

Sam shook his head, “Don’t think you’re getting out trying to hide that from me.”

Isabel arched an eyebrow at him, “Are you going to punish me?”

Sam chuckled at her, biting her throat again, with a bit more pinch than before, causing her to mewl delightfully. “I was thinking about it.” He said playfully.

“I want you to.” She said suddenly, all humor gone from her face.

For a second, Sam was taken off guard, but then everything clicked into place. They’d been dancing around it since the first time he’d pulled her shirt off her. Then he realized just how at his mercy she was. “Are you afraid of me?” He heard his traitorous mouth ask.

Isabel kissed him gently, her fingers stroking his cheeks, before laying back, putting her hands flat on the ground beside her head, palm up, “No, Sam, never.”

He looked at her hands, so pale and gentle, “You should be.”

Her eyes held nothing but warmth, both from love and anticipation, “No, I shouldn’t be. I trust you, Sam. Somehow, you make my life make sense.” She sighed, “I’m tired of playing this same game. I’m ready for more.” One corner of her mouth quirked up into a sly grin as she nudged her, “I think we both are, Sir.”

He had her wrists pinned to the ground the instant the title was out of her mouth, “Isabel, I think you’re absolutely right.” He forced himself off her, pleased when she stayed put despite being freed. “Go upstairs, take off your clothes, and wait for me by the bed. No need to speak.”

She stood slowly, and, on visibly wobbly legs, made her way up the stairs.

By the time he’d collected himself and put the dominant side of him back in it’s little box in his head, he’d been standing outside her bedroom door for a few minutes.

That night, he spanked her with his bare hand until her ass was bright red.

The next night, the monster was completely sated, and he was wholly content to lay in bed with her curled against him as she drifted off to sleep.

Isabel’s monsters weren’t sated though. Sam jolted awake to Isabel’s screams of absolute terror. She was still in bed next to him, but she had curled up on herself, clutching her head as she screamed, her eyes pinched shut. “No no no no no!”

“Isabel!” Sam yelled, trying to pull her hands from her head before she hurt herself.

Ion touched his nose to her bare shoulder, and she let out a bloodcurdling scream, “Leave me alone!”

Sam tried not to panic, but he couldn’t help himself, “Izzy, baby, wake up!”

She gasped terribly, her eyes flying open. Eyes wide, she stared at him before throwing herself against him, shivering. She spoke his name over and over again, all in varying levels of terror until she finally went slack against him, her ferocious grip on his white shirt easing. Sam sat back against the headboard with her in his arms, and ran his fingers through her hair as she fell back asleep.

He stayed awake for the rest of the night, watching over her, whispering to her when her dreams apparently strayed too close to nightmares and she started wincing. When she woke up again, she smiled up at him, “Morning.”

He couldn’t keep the concern off his face, “Are you okay?”

Isabel blinked in confusion a few times before she gasped and went pale, “Shit, Sam.”

Sam brushed some of her hair out of her eyes, glad to see that she hadn’t scratched herself, “You scared me.”

“I’m sorry.” Isabel said, biting her lip.

“Don’t be.” Sam replied, wrapping his arms around her and kissing the top of her head, “Do you want to talk about it?”

“Are you going to make me?” She retorted, humor in her voice.

Sam wasn’t amused. “No, Izzy, but I’d like it if you would. You were terrified.”

Isabel’s jaw clenched, “It was dogs, Sam. I had a nightmare about fucking dogs. Giant, man-eating dogs.” Ion whined from the floor at the end of the bed where he’d kept vigil with Sam. Isabel sighed, patting the bed next to her, “Oh, not you, buddy. Come here.” The massive dog took no more prodding and hopped up onto the bed, offering Sam a lick before laying his head in Isabel’s lap so he could press his nose against her stomach and breath in her scent.

At that point, Sam realized just how lucky he was that Ion hadn’t thought that it was him making Isabel scream. The thing probably would have killed him. Sam scratched behind Ion’s ear in appreciation before asking Isabel for more details. “Why dogs? You’ve got Ion, I would have thought you weren’t afraid of any dogs.”

Isabel shrugged, wanting to feel completely content, curled up with her man and her dog, but she couldn’t. “These weren’t anyone’s pets. They were huge, they had teeth like one of those horror movie monsters, they were rotting, and they smelled like...evil. They were after me.”

She looked haunted, and Sam felt sick in the pit of his stomach. She’d almost exactly matched Dean’s description of what the hellhounds had looked like. He didn’t get the chance to ask her any more questions though. Her cellphone rang, and she fumbled for it, nearly cracking her head open on the bedside table before answering the thing while it was still attached to it’s charger in the wall. Sam unplugged it for her and listened to her fight with her brother for half an hour about what they were getting their mother for Christmas.

He made breakfast, and everything was normal for the next few weeks, until Isabel rather bluntly told him, “I want us to have sex.” He stared, and she continued. “I have no fucking idea what I’m doing, so I want you to tie me up.” Isabel said, holding a pair of leather cuffs out to him.

“What?” Sam asked still in shock, although his penis was definitely rock hard at the thought of tying her up and finally going all the way with her. 

“I’m not sure what to do with my hands, so I’d really rather not worry about it. And...and I thought you’d like them.” Isabel murmured nervously, her hands lowering slightly.

The shock was gone with the uneasy expression on her beautiful face, and Sam took the cuffs from her, pulling her into a kiss. He brushed his thumb against her cheekbone as she stared up at him. “Isabel, I do like them, and you have no idea how much I want to see them against your skin, but not yet.” In fact, he’d like to see her tied up with way more than just a set of cuffs, and so much more.

Realization spread on her face, “Oh.”

Sam’s got her back against the wall, so it wasn’t difficult for him to pick her up and pin her there. Isabel’s hands instinctively went into his hair, and Sam couldn’t help but chuckle, “See, Izzy, no need to be nervous. Just do what feels right, and for all that’s holy, let me know if I’m hurting you.”

She was so incredibly untried, more so than any girl he’d been with before, but the instant she felt like she had a handle on the situation, her eyes would light up and she would need no further instructions. That night was no different.

Sam watched her face carefully though, when he finally pressed into her like he’d been dying to for months. He’d picked up on her uncanny ability not to make any move to let him know when he accidentally hurt her, and he wasn’t about to let her do it again when he really could so easily hurt her. Spanking her was one thing, putting his rather large cock into her for the first time was another. Face flushed, she winced a bit when he felt himself reach the point of no return, and when he pressed through, Isabel gasped, her fingernails digging into his back for a second before she sighed, giving him a sinful smile.

Sam took that as consent to start moving. Fortunately, Isabel was very vocal about what he was doing right.

He couldn’t have been more satisfied when they were cuddled up together afterwards. She was spooned against him, smiling blearily over her shoulder at him, “Damn, Sam. If I’d known sex was like that, I wouldn’t have waited so long.” Sam barely had two seconds to get madly jealous before Isabel turned over and kissed him, “I’d have had you that first night.”

Sam had never recovered faster in his entire life. After the second round, Isabel fell asleep on his chest, and it was all too easy to fall asleep with her so close.

The next morning, Sam woke up with a horribly familiar metallic taste in his mouth, but couldn’t find any blemishes on Isabel’s pale skin besides the bruised outline of his hand on her ass from a few nights before. He stared at Isabel’s sleeping face for a few minutes marveling at how wonderful she was. He laughed softly to himself when his mind wandered back to the blood he’d woken up tasting. “Relax, Sam. You didn’t bite her.” He said to himself, but he got the distinct feeling that he hadn’t imagined the taste.

Isabel’s alarm went off, and her mumbled, vulgar response and subsequent stretching pushed the thoughts out of his head. After all, she could be a few minutes late to work if she really wanted to.  
\----------------------------------

"She kicked me out Bobby!" Dean yelled, throwing his bag down on Bobby's sofa.

"Boy, I don't know what to tell you! She told you that if you kept hunting, it was over, and you went after that Wendigo any way! The way I see it, it's your own damn fault!" Bobby snapped. He hadn't seen Dean in over a year and the first time he did, it was because the boy needed a place to crash.

"Please, Bobby, tell me you have a job for me!" Dean moaned.

Bobby rolled his eyes and tossed a file at him, "It's not much, but it's worth some time."

Dean opened up the file, scanning it, "What's up? It's just a house."

"Read the fine print, you moron. That house hasn't been owned for more than a month in twenty years. The title keeps defaulting back to the previous owner, whose husband was murdered in the house twenty years ago. She took the kids and never looked back. Tenants move in and then suddenly change their minds. They all have only spent a few nights before leaving." Bobby said, pouring himself a drink.

"Sweet." Dean said, "We thinking a haunting? Dear old dad not resting in peace?"

Bobby glared at Dean, "Joseph Hastings was a Hunter."

"Did you know him?" Dean asked, reading the police report on the death.

"Nah, but you get to know the signs." Bobby said, pointing to a picture from a newspaper clip of Joseph with what appeared to be his smoking hot wife and young son sitting in front of a very straight-laced looking house. "See the symbol in the window?"

Dean squinted, and could make out a pentagram painted onto the window, "Okay, how does that make him a Hunter? Maybe he just got a creepy interior decorator."

"Cut that out." Bobby said, smacking the back of Dean's head. "It's colored, you dimwit. Before the demons figured it out, Hunters used this to communicate with each other. The yellow border means that he was willing to give aid as long as boundaries were respected. The other colors delineate the conditions. The red line meant that his wife was civilian. The green would have told a Hunter that if they so much as looked at his kids, he would kill them. The orange says he would help on short notice if it was less than an hour away. The blue is an invitation for shelter."

Dean stared at Bobby, "Why the hell don't we use this thing any more?"

"Like I said, the demons figured it out. That's when they started setting up houses with the symbol on it and killing the Hunters that came looking for help or shelter. Since it wasn't safe anymore, they stopped using it." Bobby explained, sighing, "His son is a year older than you are. His daughter would be twenty five now, a year younger than..."

"Sam." Dean finished darkly before jolting himself back into a better mood, "She's bound to be hot if her mom looked like that. Think I might get to see her?" He said, wagging his eyebrows.

Bobby took another drink, "I don't know, Dean. I didn't research the wife and kids, just the man who died in the house. Although I don't think this girl's going to be a good rebound."

"Why's that?"

"Boy, read the damned article!" Bobby growled. "She was five and walked into her house in front of her mother. They found him...well, at least what was left of him. She's bound to have some pretty heavy baggage."

Dean shrugged, "I don't really care. It's not like I'm not the damned king of baggage." He picked his stuff back up, palming the Impala keys again, "I'm going to leave now. I don't really feel like staying with your rosy personality."

Bobby shook his head, "Fine, go. Just remember, their father was one of us. Show him at least that much respect and leave them alone and in the dark as you can."

Dean nodded, picking up his bag, "I'll do my best. I'm going to South Dakota!"


	8. Viva la Vida

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wholly with Dean this time! Enjoy!

He drove two hours in the Impala, music blaring, and felt much better. Castlewood, South Dakota was the essence of suburban simplicity. Standing outside the uninhabited house, Dean was stunned that the lawn was still immaculate.

"You looking into buying?" Asked the scorchingly Georgian accent.

Dean put on his best smile before turning around, "I was thinking about it."

The middle aged woman smiled back at him. She shook his hand, "I'm Madison Barnes, I've lived across the street for the last twenty three years."

"Oh, than you must know the family who owned this last. I mean for more than a month." Dean said, trying to get information from the nosey neighbor.

The woman winced, "Yes, I do. Poor Ronnie."

"Ronnie?" Dean asked.

Madison looked up at the empty house, "Veronica and Joseph Hastings were my friends. We all called her Ronnie." She pursed her lips, "You're not really looking to buy the house, are you?"

"Well,...no...not really. How did you know?" Dean asked, astounded.

She smiled, "After all these years, I have a sense for those who come poking around Joseph's death. Are you a reporter?"

"No, Mam, I'm a writer, researching modern hauntings for my next book." Dean said, flashing her one of his fake drivers licenses.

"Well, I'm not sure the house is haunted, but you might as well hear the story. Come across the street and I'll make some coffee. You look dead on your feet. We can talk." She gave a weak smile, and Dean could tell that she was still unsettled by whatever had happened in that house.

He agreed, and she took him into her house and Dean met her husband, Frank, who was headed out to play golf. They set in her living room surrounded by pictures of her family. Madison picked one up and handed it to Dean, "I had that framed the week before...you know. It was their daughter's fifth birthday. I was going to give it to Ronnie for her birthday."

A young Mr & Mrs Barnes with three children that looked just like them were posed with the man, woman and boy from the newspaper clip Bobby had shown Dean, in addition to a little blond haired girl, sitting on her father's knee. "Cute kids." He murmured.

The woman beamed, "My three, and Ronnie and Joseph's Daniel and Isabel. Things were like a dream back then. We would all go camping every other weekend or so."

"What was different that weekend?" Dean asked her.

She took the picture back and sighed heavily, "We were all supposed to go camping that weekend, but Daniel got a cold. Ronnie was going to stay with him, but Joe insisted that she come with us and let him stay. He said it was because he had just gotten home from one of his hunting trips and that she had stayed home the last time when Isabel was sick, but I always got the feeling that he knew what was going to happen. He wouldn't let her and Isabel stay."

"Wow, that must have been hard. She probably thought she should have been the one to stay." Dean said, remembering how scary it was to have an expiration date.

Mrs. Barnes nodded, "Drove poor Ronnie nearly over the edge afterwards. If it weren't for those kids, I think she might have taken a dive off the bridge. And after what they saw, it's amazing how well adjusted they are. While Joseph was being murdered, Daniel was in the hall closet, just feet from it all. And Isabel was the first one to walk into the house. She caught a fish out of the lake and wanted to show it to her dad."

She shook her head and wiped her eyes, "What that poor girl saw... It's just luck that she was too young to remember. And Daniel...I'm nearly certain he's a sociopath. After that, the only people he would talk to were his mother and sister. It was eerie. Daniel doesn't come around too often any more."

"Do they know who killed Joseph? Is that why no one will keep the house?" Dean asked, ready to get on to where he could go destroy something.

"The police said it was a serial killer, but no human I've every met could have done that kind of damage. He was simply slaughtered. It was like an animal attack. They spent two days pulling parts of him off the ceiling and out of the carpet." She winced, "I could see the mess during the day from the front living room. It was the most disgusting thing I've ever seen, but no, that's not why people won't stay...I think."

"Well what do they say?" Dean asked.

She shrugged, "I'm the realtor, and I can tell you that they never really stick around long enough for me to ask why. They just come out white as sheets the morning of the twenty first, and hand me back the keys after they have their stuff packed up. If it wasn't bizarre to say so, I'd think it was haunted."

"Haunted? Do they always leave the morning of the twenty-first?" Dean said, coming to the conclusion of a death echo.

"Yes, always the twenty-first."

"That's tomorrow, mind if I spent the night in the house?" Dean gave her his most charming smile.

She looked indecisive but sighed, "Sure, Ronnie still pays the utilities. Just this one night though, I can't have you messing it up."

Dean chuckled, "Nah, it should be fine." If it was just an echo and not an angry ghost of course. "Thanks. Where do they live now anyway?" He might be able to use them to jolt Joseph out of his loop.

"Ronnie and Daniel live out in the country about three hours away, but Isabel..." The woman smiled, "She moved back just over a year ago, after her accident." She frowned and her head jerked up to pin Dean with a harsh matronly look, "Don't you dare go harass that girl. She's had a hard time of life and she's finally happy. These last three months are the happiest she's had in years."

"What makes you think that?" Dean asked, ignoring the rest of what the woman had said before.

"Well, her boyfriend moved in then. He's made a load of difference. He works in the library with Isabel's aunt. He's such a nice boy, real polite, always got one of his law books in his hands, real smart. They're so in love. It's the sweetest thing to see." She said airily.

"He sounds just like my brother." Dean commented, "Thank you for your time, I'll be heading out there now. If I could just have the key?"

"Of course!" The woman said, fumbling with a keychain before handing him an old key. "Please, try not to cause too much trouble." She warned and Dean gave her his best smile.

"Trouble? Nah, I won't be any trouble at all." She looked convinced and Dean practically ran across the street, "I guess that's what they call Southern Hospitality." He muttered to himself as he opened the door.

The instant he closed the door behind him, he heard a voice and noise on the stairs, "Daddy!" The blond girl from the picture, five year old Isabel, was running down the stairs towards him, "You're back!" The kid ran right through him and into the arms of the ghost of Joseph Hastings. Yeah, he was dealing with a death echo, but apparently it began hours before the actual death.

"Hey Izzy! I'm sorry I didn't say goodbye this morning. How's my little princess?" Joseph said, his voice booming and happy.

The little girl nuzzled into him, "I'm good! Are you coming camping?"

The ghost laughed, "No, I'm going to stay with Danny."

She pouted, and Dean felt for her. "But daddy, I want you to go with me!"

He shook his head, "No, Izzy, you and Mommy are going to have a girl's weekend!"

"You were going to teach me fishing though!" She said, and Dean got the idea that she was very much a daddy's girl.

"Isabel, I can teach you." A soft voice said from across the entry way. Veronica Hastings was a knockout. Her red hair was falling in perfect curls down past her shoulders, but her face was worried, "Hello darling. Danny's still upstairs."

Joseph went to his wife, cupping her face in his hands, "Don't frown so, Ronnie. He's going to be fine. Little boys get colds, it makes them stronger."

She sighed and kissed his cheek, "I know, you're right, but it doesn't make me worry any less about him. I've never had a kid this sick before. It makes me nervous."

Joseph laughed, picking up his daughter in one arm, "Well let's go check on him then. But after that, you two need to get on the road!" He carried his little girl up the stairs, disappearing with his arm around his wife.

Dean went up the stairs after them, but found nothing, the three apparitions had disappeared. He went back downstairs and sat himself up in the kitchen, rolling out a sleeping bag. When the noises started back up, Dean went up the stairs, stopping when Veronica and Joseph appeared at the top.

"Joe, I don't feel right about this." She said, her hands on Joseph's chest.

He kissed her gently, "Ronnie, please, Danny and I will have a blast, and so will you and Izzy. Nothing bad is going to happen."

"I know, but it's a feeling I just can't shake." She shook her head, "Never mind. Forget I said anything. What were you hunting this time?"

He shrugged, "This time it was a wolf. It was rabid and it nearly got me. My new friend John took care of it before it could though." Dean's heart jumped into his chest. His dad had gone on a hunt with Joseph Hastings? It was strange, he didn't remember ever hearing the name before.

She looked angry, "You could have been killed."

"Ronnie, I wasn't alone, John had my back."

"And this John, he has super powers?" She asked sarcastically.

Joseph pulled away from her and walked down the stairs, passing Dean, "Ronnie, don't start this. Please, I beg you, don't. You don't have to worry so much about me."

"You're my husband, Joe, it's my job to worry about you. And I can't protect you if I don't know where you are." She said.

He groaned, "Ronnie, I'm sorry, please, don't be angry."

"I'm not, I'm just worried." She shook her head and called up the stairs, "Isabel! Go get your bag, it's time to leave!" Veronica sat down, "So tell me about John."

Joseph smiled at her, "He's a good man. He actually has two sons, his oldest is about Danny's age and his younger one is just older than Izzy."

Veronica laughed softly, "You two traded kid stories?"

He nodded, "Yeah, I guess we did." Little Isabel tripped to the end of the stairs, "And now it looks like the princess is ready to go!" He scooped her up and kissed her face, "You're going to be good, right?" She nodded, "I love you, Izzy. Don't you forget it."

The girl slung her arms around his neck, "I won't daddy! I love you!!"

He passed her back to her mother, who looked strangely unaffected by the weight of her gangly daughter. They kissed one last time, "I love you, Joe, but if Danny gets any worse, call."

He kissed the top of Isabel's head, "I will, Ronnie, and I love you too."

Veronica headed to the door, stepping over a salt line, and the three of them faded away. 

Joe made the motion to open the front door and a little girl was standing there with a stick in her hand. She smiled up at him, "Hi Uncle Joe, can Danny or Isabel come play?"

Joe frowned, "Not that I'm not happy to see my only niece, but Macy, what are you doing here?"

She giggled, "I came to play! Can they play, or do you want to play with me Uncle Joe?"

"Aunt Ronnie and Isabel left yesterday night. They'll be back tomorrow though. It's late, Macy. You should go home. Your mother must be worried sick." He said, going to close the door.

The girl giggled again, "You don't understand, Uncle Joe. I'm not going to leave unless someone plays with me." Her eyes flashed black and Joe tried to slam the door closed. She stopped it with her hand, and Joseph stared in horror at the salt line she had ruined with her little stick. "It's time to play, Uncle Joe, and you can't stop me."

Joseph pulled the trigger on the pistol he had retrieved from his bag, shooting the demon in the shoulder. Suddenly everything went dark, and Dean stood stock still when he heard the sound of Hell Hounds.

"Danny, run!" The ghost screamed as he went down.

What must have been the little boy standing on the stairs, but he didn't look right to Dean. Daniel Hastings was alive, he had lived, but the boy on the stairs looked just as ghostly as his father. And then he was down too, the Hell Hounds after him as well. Dean wasn't sure he would ever get those sounds out of his head.

When it was all over, Lilith stood over the little dead boy, looking upset, "Well that didn't go as planned. We needed him." She said to the other demons as she stooped down, looking at the boy. "Impossible." She backed up, and the boy's eyes jerked open and his insides started making their way back into his body.

"Return to Hell, demon." He said, holding out a bloody hand towards her. The boy looked impassive as he touched his cousin's face. "You killed my vessel." Lilith fled the little girl on her own.

And Dean knew why, stretched out from the boy's back were the shadowy black fingers of angel wings. The wings faded away and the angel went to the closet under the stairs before everything around Dean faded to black.

He jerked awake and found Joseph's ghost standing over him, his son asleep in his arms, "I'm sorry about that last part, I could have skipped the hounds."

"You made me dream that?" Dean asked, pissed that the ghost had used him like that.

Joseph winced, "Yes, thank you for coming by the way. I'd hoped if I scared enough people off that your father would come looking, but I guess I'll have to settle for you. You have to protect Isabel. If they kill her, than the apocalypse cannot be stopped."

"What do you mean?" Dean asked.

"Your brother was immune to the Croatoan virus, but Isabel's blood can reverse the effects of it. If she dies, there will be no way to stop it once it has been spread, and then everyone will be lost." Joseph said, forcing Dean to look him in the face.

"Why is her blood so special?" Dean asked.

"You've heard of the angel Veronica, haven't you? That angel and my wife are one in the same. She is one of the only angels powerful enough to procreate with humans. That makes Isabel very, very special." He said, putting his ghostly son down, "The angel Daniel has watched over her in my son Daniel's body, but soon, when her blood changes, the demons are going to figure all of this out. He won't be able to save her."

"And you think I can do it?"

Joseph shook his head, "Not just you, but your brother too."

Dean's temper went through the roof, "Listen, Casper, I don't know what you've been smoking, but my brother is dead, he is in the pit with Lucifer. How about you tell me where you're buried so I can salt and burn your ass."

Joseph looked taken aback, "You really don't know, do you? Dean, your brother is alive. He's back. Right now, he's two blocks over in Isabel's house. He’s been there with her for months." Dean didn't hear the rest of what the ghost said before he grabbed his stuff up and ran through the front door to the Impala.

He went to the address the lady had told him Isabel lived at and rang the doorbell. A few seconds later, she answered the door, "Hello?"

Dean looked her over, she looked like Veronica, only blond, and looked thoroughly fucked, a hickey visible above the neckline of her nightshirt. "You're Isabel?" He asked, breathless. She nodded, pulling on her robe, looking nervous, and Dean got the feeling that she knew who he was. On some level, Dean thought she looked familiar too.

"Isabel, who is it?" He heard Sam say from just behind her. His brother put his arms around her before looking up and seeing him. Sam's face fell in shock, "Dean?"


	9. Boy Like Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning Threesome sexy times ahead!

Boy Like Me: Jessica Harp  
Isabel couldn't believe that the man from her dreams and Sam's older brother were the same person. There was an eerie stillness before Sam jerked her back into the house, his fingers holding her arm tightly enough to bruise. "Sam!" She exclaimed, trying to pull away from him. "Let go! You're hurting me! Sam!"

Dean cocked a gun at Sam, his face a mess of conflicting emotions, "You aren't Sam. You can't be. Sam is dead. Let the girl go." He started chanting in a language Isabel didn’t understand.

Sam held up his hands, letting Isabel stagger away, "Dean, please, it's really me." He stepped in front of Isabel, not about to let his brother accidentally hurt her. "Dean!"

Isabel was just staring, just looking at Dean, trying to comprehend what she was happening to her. She couldn't understand why her body was suddenly on fire. There was a molten feeling in her stomach. It ebbed and flowed like their raised voices, the louder they yelled, the hotter she felt. It was both the most intense pleasure she had ever felt, and the most searing pain.

Standing in the presence of both of the angry men had her panting, "Sam." Her voice was thin and strained as she leaned against the wall, suddenly feeling as weak as a newborn kitten. "Sam." She tried again, but he was still yelling with his brother. "Sam!" She said, just before her knees buckled and she knocked into her coatrack, sending the metal clanging to the ground with her.

"Isabel!" Sam yelled, startled by the noise. He picked her up, and checked her vitals holding her close to his chest, keeping himself between her and Dean. "Izzy, baby, wake up. Isabel!" He turned his head to yell at Dean, "What did you do to her?"

"What did I do to her? What did you do to her?" Dean yelled back.

She was completely limp and then suddenly she jerked awake, grabbing onto Sam's shirt. Sam jerked back, startled by her sudden action, "Isabel, are you alright?" He asked, holding her at an arms length, easily over coming her weak grip.

She groaned, panting, "I'm on fire, please, help me." And she was, her skin was sweaty and she was shaking. Somehow in all of his and Dean's fighting she had spiked a fever.

Stanford Sam took over. "Dean, go get some ice from the kitchen."

"What?" Dean said, trying to figure out what was going on.

"Damnit, Dean, she's got a fever! If we can't get it down, she could die!" Sam yelled at him as he carried a squirming Isabel to her downstairs bathroom. He turned the water in the tub on cold, plugging the drain, and turned on the shower as cold as is could go. Ignoring his own body's objections, he got into the shower with Isabel in his arms, holding her under the water.

Dean came back in with a bucket of ice, stunned to see his brother standing in the tub with the girl. She was moaning and writhing. It didn't seem to Dean like she was in pain, but more like...pleasure. Sam glared up at him, as if sensing how Dean was looking over his girlfriend, "Put the ice in the tub and go to the library and ask for Alice. There's something not right about this, Isabel was fine before you came. Alice is Isabel's aunt. She's a Hunter. She'll help. I hope..." He trailed off and started to undress Isabel.

Dean ignored the temptation to watch as Sam pulled off Isabel's saturated robe. Instead he forced himself to get back in the Impala and down the street to the library. The door opened before he could knock, and a small grey haired woman walked out. "Well, Winchester, you sure took long enough. Missouri told me you'd be here, but I thought you would have been around a month ago."

"What?" Dean said, staring at the woman.

She smiled, "I'd heard you weren't the bright one. It's a pity, but we can't all have looks and brains." He scoffed at her, but she went on, picking a black bag off the ground, "Don't doddle, Winchester. We need to go take care of my niece now. You boys have really made a mess of her."

"What did we do? She's sick!" Dean said, following the woman to his Impala.

Alice Hastings laughed, "Winchester, she's nephilim. I know you've never dealt with any of her kind before, but the genders are very different." They both got in the muscle car and she continued her explanation, "Males are more valued standardly than the females are, simply because they are more powerful."

"How's that?" Dean asked, forcing himself to keep the Impala within ten miles of the speed-limit.

"Those poor boys. As soon as male nephilim reach manhood, their powers are unlocked. They have a massive learning curve and most of them burn out. It's an inordinately large amount of stress to put on a human body. But if you can catch one alive, then you have a direct link to the angels in heaven and a very powerful fighter with no clue of what he’s capable of. Demons like them for obvious reasons." She said, reminding him he needed to take a left turn, causing him to make the Impala's tires squeal.

"What about the girls? What about Isabel?" He asked.

Alice smiled, "The girls are more subtle. They show angelic traits from birth. They have a certain warmth to them, a natural ability to heal and nurture. Some of them might excel in the arts, you'll find many artists and dancers that are nephilim. Isabel is more of the nurturer. It makes her very viable for a specific problem female nephilim are prone to." They pulled up to Isabel's house, "Keep your temper once we are inside, and she'll be fine. I'll give you the details with Sammy."

"Sammy?" Dean quipped.

She giggled, "He works for me. He's a giant teddy bear." She glared, "You're a blunt thing, aren't you? Poor Isabel will have her work cut out for her on you, won't she?"

Before Dean could ask her what she meant, Alice got out of the Impala. She walked into the house and straight to the bathroom. Sam was still in his clothes, but holding Isabel against him, covered only in a towel, perched on the edge of the tub.

He smiled weakly, nodding his head at a sleeping Isabel, "Hey Aunt Alice. She's fine now, she got better right after Dean left."

"You mean when you stopped being mad at Dean, don't you?" Annie said.

The brothers looked at her and said unison, "What?"

Annie grinned and looked at Dean, "Remember what I was talking about? The problem with female nephilim such as Isabel is that they are hormonal creatures. Their body chemistry acknowledges that they're physically weaker than their male counterparts so they are driven to find a way to protect themselves. They recognize their mates with a sort of violent attraction."

"Mates?" Dean asked, but Sam just stared down at the woman in his arms.

"What stronger bond is there than one between brothers? For every female nephiliim there is a set of male siblings to protect her. Usually two, sometimes three." Alice seemed totally unconcerned that she was talking about her niece's sex life.

"What about her fever?" Sam asked softly, stroking her blond hair.

That brought a blush to Annie's face, "It's not a fever, Sammy. You and Dean were fighting. Her body is designed to keep the peace. It's a bit of an outdated idea, more caveman than modern. But the tension between the two of you sent Isabel into a sort of...sexual shock. It's a way to distract you, make you focus on her not on your anger."

"She's going to do that whole turned on thing every time Sam and I fight?" Dean said, still trying to understand everything.

Annie shrugged, "She's young so it's going to be like that for a little while. However, the longer the three of you are together she should gain more control over it. Well, more control over herself in general. She'll get stronger now too, build lean muscle more easily."

"Does she know what she is?" Sam asked Alice.

"No, I believe she did at one point, but she doesn't anymore." Isabel stirred in Sam's arms. "I'd best be going. She won't want me to be anywhere near you both right now. Congratulations, you two just got married to her, and it's your wedding night. Do what you think is best, but...please be careful with her. She's bound to be confused when she settles down." Alice left quickly, leaving an ancient looking book by the front door with Isabel's name written on a sticky note on it.

Dean looked at his brother, who he had thought was dead, "Are you alright, Sam?"

The other Winchester nodded, sitting Isabel up against his chest. "I'm fine." He was blushing.

"Sam, what are you blushing for?" Dean asked.

He pressed his face into Isabel's wet hair before responding, "This doesn't bother me at all. It's sort of something I always fantasized about. You and me with the same girl. And I've thought about it. Isabel is perfect for both of us."

"She is beautiful." Dean said, looking at the blond that was curled so tightly against his brother.

Sam smiled widely, "Dean, I can't wait for you to get to know her. She's amazing."

There was a soft moan that neither of them heard, but then Isabel's eyes snapped open and she launched herself at Sam. She was mumbling incoherently, and proceeding to grind herself against Sam. Dean made the mistake of reaching a hand out to touch her, and then she was on him, kissing him and moaning in pain.

Dean smiled grimly, pulling her soaking wet shirt off of her, "Calm down, baby girl, and don't you worry about a thing. Sammy and I are going to take care of you." Underneath her lust induced haze, Isabel realized just how safe she felt, how complete, and she knew that there was nothing she would ever let threaten the peace she found with these two men.

What happened then was a whole night of the Winchesters trying to quell Isabel's seemingly insatiable need. When the sun rose, the three were tangled in a mess of sheets and limbs.

Dean's head was spinning with the newness of Isabel's scent on his skin, and Sam being alive. Sam was embarrassed by seeing that much of his brother. Isabel on the other hand, was blissful. She had been dimly aware during her aunt's explanation, and as strange as it sounded, everything they had done felt right.

She was smiling at Dean when he woke up. "What are you looking at?" He asked jokingly.

Isabel put her back to Sam's chest and pulled the sheets up around her breasts. "You. I've dreamed about you."

Dean smiled cockily, "They were good dreams, I hope?"

She shook her head, a small frown on her face, "No, not really, but I'm sure they will be now." Her eyes trailed to the clock that had been kicked to the floor at some point. “Shit!” She cried, jumping up.

“What?” Sam grunted when he was awoken with Isabel’s elbow crashing into his face.

“I’m late for work!” Isabel screeched, coming dangerously close to stepping on Dean’s crotch as she launched herself from the bed to the bathroom, “Sam, call Cynthia for me!”

Sam chuckled, looking at the clock and then back at his brother, “School doesn’t start for another half hour. It’s a five minute walk. She’ll be fine.”

Dean looked at the closed bathroom door, “Is she always like that?”

Sam nodded, “For the most part. She doesn’t like feeling rushed.” He rubbed his face, “I should go feed the dog before Isabel starts freaking out about him too.”

“She has a dog?” Dean said, aghast.

“Yup, his name’s Ion and he’s the size of a small car. He was in the backyard when you showed up. I hope he hasn’t chewed through the fence.” Sam said, getting out of the bed and grabbing clean underwear and jeans from his drawer. “Come meet him.” He said, pulling a white t-shirt over his head.

Dean followed Sam’s lead, only getting his clothes from the floor rather than a drawer. He wasn’t sure how they had gotten upstairs, but he scanned the house as he followed Sam down them. It was beautiful, not unlike every other suburban house that was well taken care of. Dean saw the backdoor in the kitchen, a large yellow lab was glaring through the glass. “Looks pissed.”

“Probably is. He’s super protective of Izzy. He probably barked his head off last night.” Sam chuckled, “Not that we would have noticed.”

The second Sam opened the door, the dog bolted inside, running past them both and up the stairs. About five seconds later, the Winchester brothers heard Isabel grunt, “Ion! Off!”

The dog bounded back down the stairs and stood in front of the metal bowl on the floor, glaring at Sam. “Alright, you crazy mutt, I’ll feed you.” The younger Winchester barked in amusement, tossing a cup of food in the bowl.

Dean stood by awkwardly as Sam sat about making coffee and breakfast. “You uh...need help?”

“Nah, I’ve got it. I’m used to doing the cooking. Isabel usually ends up almost burning the house down when she tries.” Sam said.

“So no homemade pie then?” Dean quipped, sitting down at the table.

Isabel rushed into the room, “I need supervision with the stove, but I can make pie just fine. Remind me after school, and I’ll run by the grocery store. What flavor?”

Dean’s eyebrows knitted together. “Uh...apple?”

Sam laughed, kissing her, “Izzy, Dean’s not too picky about his pie.”

A hint of the fire from the night before lit Isabel’s eyes and she stepped to stand in between Dean’s legs. “Pie, huh? I’ll keep that in mind.” She whispered in his ear, grabbing him in a swift yet heated kiss. “Why don’t you boys bring me lunch?” She called as she walked out the door, only to run back in and grab her keys off the counter, blushing like a fool.

Once her car had left the driveway, Dean stared at his brother, “Why was that so hot?”

Sam sighed, “I wish I knew.” He slid a plate of eggs across the table to Dean and took his own seat, all of the morning’s happiness fleeing from his face, “Dean, how did you find me? Us?”

Dean shoveled in a mouthful of eggs, “I came looking into Isabel’s old house.”

“The one where her father was murdered?”

Dean nodded, “Her dear old dad is death echoing the place. He told me he was trying to get Dad’s attention. Guy seemed a little confused. He was talking about the Croatoan Virus.”

Sam choked on a piece of toast, “The Croatoan Virus? We took care of that already.”

Dean shrugged, “I haven’t got a clue. I mean the guy’s been dead for twenty years, he might not be too sharp anymore.” He put on an obviously fake smile, “Oh, and did you know her big brother is an angel vessel and that her mom is a freaking super-angel? I mean, we’re not talking your garden variety angel. Veronica is like second in power to the Big Man himself.”

Sam’s eyebrows shot up, and he put his bacon down, “No, I did not know that. Explains a lot though.” He pointed the salt tubes out to Dean, “Izzy thinks they keep bugs out.”

“Probably not the normal kind.” Dean said, letting a few more minutes pass before asking his brother, “How did you get out of the cage?”

Sam shook his head, “I have no idea, Dean. I was in the cage, and the next thing I knew, I wasn’t. I tracked you to Lisa’s, but I couldn’t ruin what you had going for you so I kept on moving. Isabel found me when my car broke down just outside of town.” He scratched Ion behind the ears, “I knew something was up with her. There’s a boy across the street, he’s basically dying, but Isabel goes over every few days and he gets better. Not healed, but better. I think I’ve been bracing myself for when the normalcy shattered.” Sam got up, not wanting to talk about it anymore, and started cleaning the kitchen.


	10. Taking Chances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some plot development and more sexy times! Kudos welcome and appreciated!

**Taking Chances: Céline Dion**

Dean came to him two hours later, “So what are we going to take to Isabel for lunch?”

 

“It’s a small town, so most of the kids run home for lunch. We can go out somewhere as long as we’re quick.” Sam informed him, snapping a leash onto the collar around Ion’s neck, “Ready?”

 

Sam was right, the school was only a five minute walk, and Dean found himself wondering why Isabel bothered to take her car at all. Sam walked right into the school and Dean was left trailing behind him feeling creepy.

 

The attractive brunette receptionist greeted them, “Aww, Sammy, here for your daily dose of Cynthia?”

 

Sam chuckled, “Here for Izzy yet again, Cynthia.”

 

“Who’s this?” Cynthia asked, noticing Dean behind his brother’s bulky form.

 

“That’s Sam’s brother.” Isabel answered from the doorway. She beamed at Sam, “Hey, baby.” The kissed briefly and Dean felt jealousy surge through him.

 

“Well hello, Handsome.” Cynthia purred at him.

 

Dean plastered on a fake smile, “Beautiful day, right?”

 

Cynthia grazed her eyes over him, “Handsome, are you taken because...”

 

“He’s gay.” Isabel snapped, her own jealousy written all over her face.

 

Cynthia’s face fell, “Too bad.” She didn’t seem to notice the horrified look on Dean’s face as Isabel dragged them out of the school.

 

“Gay?” Dean yelled.

 

Isabel smirked, “I get tired enough of her flirting with Sam. I can’t deal with it being the both of you. Trust me, in this town, being gay is basically being another species.” Out of sight, Isabel latched on to Dean, pressing her body to him, “I couldn’t handle it if she was flirting with both of you.”

 

Dean groaned at her closeness, “Isabel, sweetheart, if you keep this up, you aren’t going back into that school today.”

 

Isabel practically jumped away from him and back into the school, only to return a few seconds later, grabbing both Dean and Sam. At Dean’s confused protest, Isabel struck him down with a molten look, “Come on, Dean. Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”

\----------------

 

Isabel hardly let the door close behind them before she grabbed Sam. “You’re already stronger.” Sam commented between heated kisses.

 

“Aunt Alice’s book said that’s part of the package.” Isabel responded, hopping up onto the counter top so Sam wouldn’t have to bend down so far to kiss her.

 

“Really you two? Intellectual conversation before sex? Is that some newfangled foreplay?” Dean grumbled.

 

Isabel shot him a look, holding a hand out to him, “We can talk about cars if you want. That’s a pretty sweet Impala in my driveway.”

 

Dean took her hand, kissing her mouth while Sam kissed a hot trail down her neck. “Now you’re talkin’, baby girl.”

 

Isabel giggled, “We could always move it into the garage later.”

 

That comment went straight to Dean’s dick. “Son of a bitch.”

 

That garnered another giggle from Isabel and she pulled back just far enough to strip her shirt off without hitting either of them with an elbow. Dean’s eyes flicked over the creamy exposed skin as he finally took a moment to really look at her. Last night, they’d all been half out of their minds, but now, he could see just how lovely she really was. Her long blond hair fell in loose curls, half hiding Sam’s actions on her neck. Her blue eyes smoldered and in that instant, Dean knew exactly who she was.

 

He’d forgotten about the night Anna had died, about how Castiel had talked about a mother he thought was dead. She wasn’t dead. She was a smoking hot redhead that channeled every ounce of that hotness into her blond daughter. Of course that made Cas Isabel’s half-brother. Maybe that was the reason for how strongly he felt towards Castiel, some part of him had been searching for Isabel.

 

“Stop thinking.” Isabel grumbled, unzipping his pants. When her hand slipped into his pants and she wrapped her fingers around his throbbing erection, all though fled Dean’s mind. Isabel grinned, seeing the change in his eyes, “Better.”

 

Somehow, Isabel had managed to get her underwear off, and when she scooted to the edge of the counter, Dean’s dick was brushing against her soaked folds. He took no more prompting than the whine Isabel gave out to slam into her.

 

Things felt different in the morning light. Everything was clearer, the supernatural erotic haze gone. Isabel trembled against him and didn’t protest when Sam leaned her back a little so he could lave at her nipples. Dean caught himself linking his hand with Isabel’s in Sam’s shaggy hair, but it didn’t bother him. Not even the sight of Sam jerking himself off gave Dean pause. He picked up his pace, hammering into Isabel, who to her credit, took everything he gave her with fervor, not being shy about letting her moans echo through the house. Dean wondered vaguely where the dog was.

 

When Isabel came, she brought Dean with her, and it was only Sam’s hands that kept them from slamming into the floor. His deep chuckle reverberated through all three of them as he steadied his brother and took Isabel off the countertop like she was a child. She draped herself over him and nuzzled against him, completely sated. Sam pressed a kiss to her temple, looking at his brother, “Ready for an afternoon nap?”

 

Dean sighed his agreement and somehow made it up the stairs after Sam. They slept until the sun was setting and Dean’s need for food became overwhelming. “What’s a guy got to do to get some food around this place?” He asked, seeing which one of  his bed companions he could rile first.

 

Isabel drew herself up from the pillow she’d buried her face into. “I’ll go make sandwiches.” She left the brothers in her bed, drawing Sam’s discarded shirt on as she went, and when she returned twenty minutes later, they had moved together to fill the space she had left, almost touching. “You guys want food or are these just for me?” She teased, rousing both of them. They blinked at her with near twin expressions. “I can come back later...” She started, but had failed to notice the look passed between them.

 

They lunged at her, Dean snatching the food from her hands and Sam grabbing her by the waist, tossing her up onto the bed with a triumphant roar. She shrieked when he started tickling her sides. Dean watched them satisfied, munching on the bag of potato chips she had been holding. When Isabel’s face was bright red from her hiccuped breathing and Sam was laughing too hard to keep going, the tickling stopped and they sagged against the headboard. Isabel’s eyes roamed across the bed until they landed on Dean, happily shoving food into his face. “You’d better bring that over here, or I’ll sic Tickle-Me-Sammy on you.” She warned with a glare that almost scared Dean, but with all he’d seen in his life, there was little scary about the blond so the expression was just endearing.

 

He handed her one of the sandwiches and got back into the bed. They laid in a pile of naked limbs and ate in silence. “So what do you two really do?” Isabel asked once they were all finished, staring at the empty plate in her hands pensively. The Winchester’s share a panicked look, but this time, Isabel noticed. “Come on, I’m not some little girl that’s going to get scared off. I don’t think I could ever leave you two.”

 

“We’re Hunters.” Dean said simply, despite the look of protest from his younger brother.

 

Isabel nodded, “I’m guessing you don’t hunt Bambi.”

 

“No, no Bambi.” Sam said softly, sitting up behind her and stroking her hair comfortingly.

 

“What does salt do?” She asked, remembering Sam’s initial interest in the salt around the house.

 

“Demon and ghost deterrent, also it’s really great with tequila.” Dean explained, earning a tired smile from the girl.

 

“So the things that go bump in the night are real?” Isabel asked, garnering a nod from both brothers. “You...kill them?”

 

Dean nodded, “The ones who are messing with people, yeah. A few aren’t bad, but a lot of them like to kill people.”

 

She looked over her shoulder at Sam, “Why are you here then? Shouldn’t you have been out there, helping?”

 

Sam stared at her, shocked by her ire. In all the time he’d been with her, he hadn’t seen such a harsh look on her face, “Izzy, there’s a lot of things that you don’t know about.”

 

“Then tell me because it sounds to me like you bailed on helping people because of a fight with your brother.” Isabel snapped.

 

Dean jumped in for the stunned Sam, “Before last night, Isabel, I thought Sam was trapped in a cage with Lucifer being tortured until the end of time. I was living a pretty normal life too. What we do, it takes a lot out of a person. Most days, life is just a big load of shit. Demons killed our parents, and after a while, you just want it to stop. Living a normal life is better than killing yourself or ending up getting eaten by something.”

 

Isabel’s face softened and she turned fully to Sam, remorse on her face, “I’m sorry. I didn’t know, about your parents, about...anything.” She scoffed, “I feel like a kid all over again. A demon, that’s what killed my father, isn’t it? That’s what tore him to pieces and smeared him all over our living room.”

 

Dean ran a hand down her back, “Yes.”

 

She took in a sharp breath, “I always knew nothing human could have done that. I’m not human though, am I? I’m nephilim, half angel. My mother is an angel.” Isabel’s eyes shot to Sam, “Are angels good?”

 

The corner of his mouth quirked up, “For the most part, yes. Dean’s best friend Cas is one. Although he doesn’t apparently like me enough to come when I call.”

 

“What?” Dean whined, looking at his brother in disbelief.

 

“When I came back, I started praying to Castiel, asking for his help, and he never showed, not even for a few seconds.” Sam explained.

 

“Douche.” Dean groused.

 

“Castiel?” Isabel repeated, the name sounding familiar. The boys were discussing the angel when Isabel remembered where she’d seen the name before. “Bitch!” The brothers stared at her as she jumped off the bed and tore out of the room, flashing a fair bit of skin as the shirt she was wearing blew up in the back. She came back a minute later, throwing a photo down on the bed. “These people, they’re angels, aren’t they. My half siblings.”

 

Sam picked it up, looking at the picture. It was one in the downstairs hall of the family before her dad had been killed. Isabel looked at it all the time. “On the back, Sammy.” Dean chocked out. Sam flipped the photo over and in an embellished calligraphy were six names. He read them off: “Michael. Heylel. Gabriel. Daniel. Anael. Castiel.” He met eyes with Dean, “Heylel, that’s another name for Lucifer. Anna is probably a nickname for Anael. She really is Cas’ sister.”

 

“Yeah, and he’s a lot higher on the food chain than he let us believe.” Dean growled.

 

“I want to meet him.” Isabel blurted out.

 

Dean nodded, “Sure, but in the morning. I’m naked, and Cas already has personal boundary issues.”

 

Isabel laughed softly, “My life is never going to be the same, is it?”

 

Sam wished he could tell her it would, but he couldn’t, he just held her as Dean said, “No.”

 

Sam thought she was going to cry, but instead she shrugged out of his arms, “I need to go see Will.” She got dressed slowly, her mind running over the last twenty-four hours.

 

“Will?” Dean asked, pulling his jeans on.

 

Sam glanced over at Isabel, “Little boy who lives across the street. He has cancer pretty bad.”

 

“He should be dead.” Isabel added softly, “I’m what’s keeping him alive. I can heal, I read that in the book Aunt Alice left.”

 

“When did you have time to read?” Dean exclaimed.

 

Isabel blinked at him for a few seconds, “Um...between rounds four and five last night. I couldn’t sleep, but you two were out so I grabbed the book and started reading. It’s not much, but Alice’s note says that it’s all she and her acquaintances know. I’m stronger now. Maybe...maybe I can heal Will permanently.”

 

“Isabel, that’s not the best idea. Those things get a lot of attention.” Sam advised.

 

“I don’t care. I can’t stay here, in this town, and neither can you two. Will, he doesn’t deserve to live like this, and he certainly doesn’t deserve to die.” She paused at the door, “Are you two coming?”

 

They nodded in unison and followed her out the front door. She knocked on the door and Tanya opened it a few moments later, “Izzy! I didn’t know you were coming by tonight. Will’s finishing his dinner.” She peered out into the dimly lit area behind Isabel, “Hi Sam, um, who’s that?”

 

“That’s Dean, Sam’s brother. Sorry for dropping in unannounced, I just thought it had been a while since I’d seen him.” Isabel explained.

 

“He’s in pretty good spirits tonight since Jesse came by this morning.” Tanya said, leading them to the kitchen.

 

“I didn’t know Jesse was here.” Isabel said softly to the brothers.

 

Will’s face lit up when they rounded the corner, “Izzy! Sam!”

 

“Hey, bud.” Isabel said, the darkness leaving her eyes and a smile filling her face. “What’s for dinner?”

 

“Mom made spaghetti!” The bald child said brightly.

 

“Yum!” Isabel said, glancing up at Tanya, “You up for a game of Monopoly before bed?”

 

Tanya nodded her consent, and Will laughed, “Only if Sam plays!”

 

“I’ll play.” Sam assured him, “But do you mind if my brother Dean plays too?”

 

“He can have my spot, Will.” Tanya offered, smiling softly.

 

The boy acquiesced and the four of them set up the game. Unlike his brother, Dean had experience from Ben with board games, and he ended up almost winning before Isabel shot him a look and he slid two of his hundreds to her under the game board. As promised, when Will won, they all snuggled up on the sofa to watch the latest Batman movie. Will was snuggled between Isabel and his mother while Isabel leaned against Sam, who was trying not to crush Dean. Will wasn’t asleep when Isabel’s mojo started making the levels on the machine monitoring his vitals rise. By the time the movie ended, the hue of Will’s skin was normal and Isabel took him to his room for bedtime, leaving an exhausted Tanya sleeping on the sofa.

 

Isabel came back and brushed a kiss to Tanya’s forehead, “Bye, Tanya. You and that boy, you’re going to have nice long, happy lives. I promise.” She took both of the Winchesters by the hand and led them back to her house, letting Ion rush past them on the way inside. “Tomorrow, I want to meet this Cas, and then, I want you two to go back to Hunting. I’m coming with you.”

 

“You could get hurt.” Dean advised, hoping to dissuade her.

 

Isabel straightened her back, forcing herself not to glance over at the counter were Dean had fucked her not four hours before, “I’m coming with you, to help you hunt. I can do it, I know I can. She says I can.”

 

“She?” Dean asked, wondering when Isabel had hopped on the crazy train.

 

Isabel drew her eyes to Sam, “That voice in my head, the only one that talks _to_ me. All day I’ve been getting stuff from her. I know who she is now.”

 

“Who?” Sam asked gently, rubbing his hands up and down her arms.

 

Isabel looked at the floor, “Me. That voice, it’s me from the year I can’t remember. It wasn’t a voice at all, but memories I didn’t remember. I remember some of it now. Obviously not what the two of you do, but I remember following you, and picking Jesse up...he’s not a normal kid. He was with the two of you before he literally appeared outside the house in front of me. I don’t remember why that didn’t freak me out. I took him to my mother.”

 

Sam flashed a panicked look to his brother, “Your adopted brother Jesse is the Cambion? The Antichrist?”

 

“I guess so.” Isabel offered with a shrug, “Jesse’s a sweet kid, but my mother never lets him out of her sight without Adam or Daniel being with him. It didn’t ever make sense to me, but Tanya mentioning that he’d been by alone kicked off that set of memories. I should call...” She looked up at the clock on the wall, “It’s too late for that tonight. Can we go there tomorrow? I need her to fix my head before I go crazy. I can hardly think straight right now. This whole day has been crazy. I need to see my mother.”

 

Sam nodded, “Sure, Izzy. We can go.” He could tell by the look on her face that they’d lost her. He’d seen her do the same thing several times before, usually when she was talking about her father. She’d go quiet and stare off into space, her body frozen in place, shallow breathing the only indication that she was even alive. “Isabel.” He said once, tracing the side of her face with one hand. She didn’t respond, so he lowered his lips to hers. She gasped at the touch and her wide blue eyes shot to his face.

 

“Sam.” She whispered, her whole body starting to tremble.

 

He gave her a gentle smile and pulled her to his chest, “You’re okay, Iz. I promise.”

 

Dean stepped forward, putting his arms around her as well, pinning her between the two of them. He looked up at his brother, “Knew she was being too calm about all this.” He kissed the top of her head, “Don’t you worry, baby girl, we’ll have a real good time setting things straight with that mom of yours. We’ll figure all this out, together.”

 

They went up the stairs, and for the first time, they just slept, Isabel tucked between the brothers and Ion taking up the spare room on the bed by Isabel and Dean’s feet. Dean had tried to kick the dog off, but the thing was so huge he couldn’t get the right leverage to push him off without kicking Isabel. The thing growled too, and Dean just decided he’d let it go. Isabel wouldn’t be happy if he hurt her dog. She’d hit him when he’d tried to keep the dog off the bed, frowning at him, “Dean, cut that out. He was here before either of you, so share or you’ll be the one on the floor in the hallway.”

 

Sam had had the audacity to laugh before pulling Isabel flush against him, his arms tight under her breasts and his chin tucked against the back of her shoulder. Isabel had tangled her legs in with Dean’s and linked the fingers of one of her hands with his, tucking it under her own chin and giving him a soft smile. He brushed some of her blond hair out of her face and kissing her gently, “Night baby girl.”

 

“Night.” She whispered, feeling completely safe and secure. Ion settled his head on her ankles and she stared into Dean’s eyes until she fell asleep.

 

The bedroom door being kicked in woke them all up.

 


	11. The Show

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Comments and Kudos welcome! The return of Bobby, Adam and Jesse!

**The Show: Lenka**

Isabel shrieked, Sam reached for a gun that wasn’t there, but Dean pulled out his gun without any trouble. Ion took up a protective stance in front of them all, growling and looking very much not like any dog Dean had seen before.

 

“Dean!” The man in the doorway yelled, trying to understand what he was seeing. “Sam?”

 

“Hey, Bobby.” Sam said, posed to throw Isabel out of the way if the older Hunter got trigger happy.

 

“You’re dead.” Bobby growled, pointing his gun at the younger Winchester.

 

“He’s back, Bobby, no hoodoo or anything else. Promise. I checked this morning.” Dean said soothingly. “Put the gun down.”

 

Bobby eyed the snarling dog, “Not until I’m sure Fido here won’t eat me.”

 

As if Ion knew what Bobby said, he growled again. Isabel launched forward and grabbed onto the dog’s leather collar, “Ion, down.” The dog obeyed, barely, and satisfied himself by sitting back into Isabel’s lap, licking her cheek lovingly, “Good boy.”

 

“Who are you?” Bobby snapped, looking at the blond that had somehow been hidden between Sam and the dog.

 

“Isabel Hastings, sir.” She said softly, in a precocious manner Dean was sure most older men ate up.

 

Bobby however, was not amused, “Why the hell are you three in bed together?”

 

Isabel shoved Ion off of her so she could straighten herself up, “I’m nephilim, sir. Apparently brothers are par for the course.” She reached over Sam to grab her Aunt’s book, “Here, you can read all about it if you’d like.” She leveled a glare at the older Hunter, “Now, may I ask why you are in my house breaking down doors?”

 

“Dean didn’t call. I came for backup and saw the Impala.” Bobby answered, looking the girl over. She had to be Joe Hasting’s daughter all grown up.

 

“And you couldn’t call him or ring the doorbell instead of busting into my house?” Isabel said, making Sam chuckle at how much in teacher mode she was. Bobby stared at her like she was evil incarnate. Isabel smiled, “Good, now go downstairs so we can get dressed.” He didn’t move, not even when she stood up on the bed and jumped off, Ion following. She was wearing all but her pants from the night before and she peered at Bobby, “Just for the record, Dean may be sleeping commando.”

 

One look from Bobby to Dean was all that was needed to confirm the fact and Bobby grumbled as he left the room. Dean jerked Isabel to him, “That was pretty dang hot. You got Bobby speechless.”

 

Isabel laughed and kissed him, “It’s the teacher voice. Kids may grow up, but the voice always works!” He kissed her again. “We should get dressed.” She whispered against his mouth.

 

Dean growled his disapproval when she joined Sam in the bathroom to throw on clothes, following sullenly. It took Isabel all of five minutes to change, and most of that time was spent trying to find Dean’s suitcase. It had made it from the back of the car to the closet, but had apparently saw fit to hide underneath a pile of Sam’s dirty clothes. “I need to do laundry before we leave.” Isabel commented, pulling black leggings on under one of Sam’s far too large plaid shirts, cinching it at her waist with a wide black belt. She hardly made it out of the bathroom in that outfit, but managed to dodge Sam before he could strip his shirt off her.

 

Bobby was standing awkwardly in the kitchen. Isabel finally glanced at the clock. “Five in the morning? That’s a drag.”

 

“Sorry I interrupted your beauty sleep Princess.” Bobby snapped at her, not failing to notice the shirt she was wearing was Sam’s.

 

Isabel gave him a smile, “It’s alright.” Ion whimpered at the backdoor, “Coming, Ion.” She opened the door for the dog and went to start a pot of coffee, “Would you like something to eat for breakfast, sir?”

 

“Stop it with the ‘sir’ crap, it’s Bobby Singer.” The man growled.

 

Isabel smiled patiently, “Alright, Mr. Singer, would you like breakfast? There’s a tube of cinnamon rolls in the fridge that I couldn’t possibly mess up on.” She made a face, “Actually, cinnamon rolls are the only thing Sam lets me use the oven or stove for without being supervised.” Not getting an answer, Isabel went to the fridge anyway, clicking on the oven as she did so, “Cinnamon rolls it is!”

 

She was in the midst of placing the rolls on the foil lined pan when Bobby spoke again, “What are you?”

 

Isabel pursed her lips, her hands not halting their movements. “I’m a younger sister, an older adoptive sister, a daughter, a teacher, a blond, a nephilim, a dog lover, a...”

 

Bobby interrupted her juvenile list, “Nephilim. You said that before. Like, half angel?”

 

Isabel nodded, sliding the pan into the oven and setting the timer. “My mother’s an angel, apparently. I’m missing most of an entire year’s worth of memories so, effectively, I just found out two days ago when Dean knocked on my door. Things have already been crazy enough, and you breaking into my house really isn’t helping. Thank you, however for providing us a reason to get out of...” She cut off, the burning spreading through her again. The boys were fighting. “Damn-it.” She cursed under her breath, leaning on the kitchen island to keep herself from hitting the floor. Now that she knew what was going on, that goal was a little easier to accomplish.

 

“You okay?” Bobby asked warily.

 

“Get the boys to stop...talking and get down here.” Isabel said through clenched teeth.

 

Bobby lumbered up the stairs and seconds later, three men sounding like elephants trampled down her stair case. “Isabel!” Sam yelled, at her side in a second.

 

She batted his hands away, the tension fleeing from her body already. “What on Earth were you two fighting about now?”

 

Sam stuttered, but Dean shoved a piece of leather in her face, “This! And all that other crazy ass shit in your closet. You’re letting him hurt you?”

 

Isabel sighed, snatching the object from Dean and slipping it into the drawer in front of her. “Dean, it’s not unheard of for two grown people to do things like that. Sam’s never done anything I wasn’t completely on board with.” Her voice was calm, level, and she was grateful that her strange bodily reactions didn’t seem to kick up when it was her fighting with one of them.

 

Dean scoffed, “Isabel, my brother spent months locked in a cage, in hell, with Lucifer. You don’t think that might have something to do with why he wants to beat the crap out of you?”

 

She threw her hands up, struggling to maintain her carefully constructed composure, “I don’t know, Dean! Maybe! But the fact is, is that he’s never, ever hurt me more than I could handle. If that is the price I pay for him not being stuck in hell, then that’s okay with me. I’ve got baggage of my own that has nothing to do with being half angel.”

 

Sam was stepping away from her, horror on his face, “Isabel, I...I didn’t think it might have been because of that. I’m sorry.”

 

She sighed again, pulling him to her, “It’s okay, Sam.” She ran her fingers through his hair a few times, giggling softly, “So we’re a bit kinky, big deal. You’d never hurt me, and I know that. That’s why we can do what we do. If I was scared of you at all, it wouldn’t work. I trust you, Sammy.” He nodded into her shoulder, but the doubt was still heavy on his mind. After a few minutes, Dean wound his arms around Isabel too, murmuring a half hearted apology to them both.

 

“You idjit’s have done gone crazy.” Bobby said, breaking the fragile silence.

 

Isabel giggled, shrugging off the warm embrace, “I think that’s a fair assessment.” She turned off the oven timer just seconds before it was going to go off on it’s own and pulled out the cinnamon rolls, “Why don’t you guys go sit down and I’ll plate these.”

 

Sam hovered for a few seconds before realizing that she was capable of doing that task on her own. Bobby stared them both down, his brain trying to figure out what sort of djinn nest they had stumbled into.

 

Isabel took the seat opposite Bobby once she’d given them food, pulling her knees up to her chin and eating silently while Sam and Dean filled Bobby in on every last detail of everything they knew. She wasn’t disconnected like she had been the night before, but she just didn’t feel the need to say anything. She got out of her chair and let Ion into the house, aware of Dean’s protective eyes on her as she settled onto the living room sofa with her dog, just feet away from the table.

 

Dean comes to stand beside her, hands shoved in the pockets of his jacket, “You still want to go see your mom?”

 

“Yeah, I do.” Isabel told him, trailing her finger down the slight rivet between Ion’s eyes.

 

“Bobby wants to come see what’s going on too. Do you think your mom would smite him?” Dean asked, trying to garner a smile from her.

 

He didn’t get one, but her eyes seemed brighter, “She wouldn’t dare. She’s going to have her hands full with me yelling at her.”

 

Dean laughed, “Careful, I’m sure your mom packs a lot more ammo than we do.”

 

Isabel rolled her eyes, “She’d rather erase my memories of an entire year than have me pull on my big girl pants and deal with the things I did.”

 

Dean eyed her carefully, “And what ‘things’ did you do, baby girl?”

 

Isabel wrinkled her nose in distaste, “Something with blood.” She shook her head, “Don’t really remember other than there being jugs of it in the back of your Impala.”

 

“We were stocking up on demon blood to try and help Sam overpower Lucifer.” Dean explained, helping her up from the plush sofa.

 

Isabel hopped to her feet, sliding them into the ankle boots she favored above all the others in her closet. “Well that worked out well.”

 

He narrowed his eyes at her, but the impish smile on her face cut off any jabs he could have possibly made back to her. Instead, he took her hands in his, “Thanks for taking care of him when I wasn’t there.”

 

Isabel shrugged, “First, I don’t think I could help myself, and second, he takes more care of me than me of him.”

 

“You did stitch up my hand when I cut it that one time.” Sam reminded her.

 

Isabel nodded, clipping Ion’s leash onto his collar before handing the lead to Dean, “Hold him for a sec, I’m going to go throw some of my stuff together. Just in case.”

 

Sam followed her up the stairs and came back a few minutes later with his bag and Dean’s, “No sense in leaving our stuff here. Izzy seems pretty certain that we won’t be back here for a while. She’s usually right about that stuff. Alice always said it ran in the family.”

 

“We should drop by so I can say goodbye.” Isabel said, coming down the stairs with Ion bounding behind her.

 

“Oh, you don’t need to make a special trip for me.” Alice was standing in the doorway.

 

Isabel ran to her open arms, “Aunt Alice!”

 

The older woman cooed, “Hush, sweetheart. I know you’re overwhelmed, but you’re handling all this beautifully. I’m so proud of you.”

 

“I love you, Aunt Alice.” Isabel whispered.

 

Alice smiled, “I love you too, sweetheart. You wouldn’t have time to come say goodbye to me so I decided to come here.” She tapped a finger gently on Isabel’s nose, “I’m tempting fate, but I had to see my lovely niece one last time before she headed out for the big-bad world. One last glance at Sammy couldn’t hurt an old woman like me either.”

 

Isabel laughed and Sam blushed. Bobby was staring at the beautiful middle aged woman in front of him, “Hello, Mam.”

 

“Hello, Bobby Singer.” Alice said with a coy smile. “Nice to finally meet you. Missouri failed to mention how ruggedly handsome you are.” Dean could swear that a blush spread across Bobby’s face.

 

“What did you mean by not having time?” Isabel asked warily.

 

Alice smiled gently, “Your mother will be out of that house in two hours unless you get there first. Also, you’ll need this.” Alice suddenly had a blade in her hand, “It’s yours, your mother gave it to me for safe keeping after she brought you back here.”

 

Isabel’s fingers closed around the hilt of the blade and a memory flashed through her of a man standing over her with his face half rotted, holding a different blade in his hands, “I lost hers.” Isabel muttered.

 

“She got it back, sweetheart. You need to go now though. She has something very important to tell you.” Alice advised, hugging her one last time, “I’ll call when I can, Isabel, but don’t you worry about waking me at all. If you need to talk to your Aunt Alice, call.”

 

Isabel nodded, “Love you, Aunt Alice.”

 

Alice smiled, the corners of her eyes crinkling. “I love you too, sweet girl.”

 

They left the house moments after, Dean bitching when Isabel insisted on bringing the dog. “Not in my baby!”

 

Ion had glared in Dean’s direction and hopped into the backseat. Isabel giggled, sliding in after her dog, “That’s decided then!”

 

Dean grumbled for the first half hour of the car ride, at least until he looked into the rearview mirror and saw Isabel and the dog curled around each other, asleep. “She and that dog are way too attached.” Dean said teasingly, warmth spreading through his limbs at how great Isabel looked laying in the back of the Impala.

 

“I know, at first I thought he was a skinwalker, but he’s just a dog, a very smart, devoted, massive dog.” Sam said, looking at them as well. “You’re going to have hair all over the seat.”

 

“Shut up, bitch.” Dean said, but the smile on his face negated the tone.

 

Sam smiled too, “Whatever, jerk.” He woke Isabel up once they’d entered the city limits. “Where to next, Iz?”

 

She yawned, stretching, “Left, then straight down the dirt road. It’s the only house.”

 

Veronica was waiting on the porch of the two story colonial, arms tight across her chest. Isabel pulled herself out of the car like a cat, slow and dangerous. “Hello, mom.”

 

A smile broke across Veronica’s impossibly beautiful face, “Isabel, I’m so glad you made it through alright.” She arched an eyebrow at Sam and Dean as they got out of the Impala. “I have to say I’m surprised to see those two. Although only the best for...”

 

“Save it, Mother.” Isabel snapped.

 

Veronica looked taken aback by her daughter’s tone. “Excuse me?”

 

“What sort of sick pleasure do you get from making me forget a year of my life?” Isabel asked, standing inches from her mother, her jaw set stubbornly. If he hadn’t been so wary of her mother, Dean would have grabbed her and ravished her for the sexy look.

 

Veronica looked like her daughter had slapped her. A man chuckled from where he’d appeared on the porch behind Veronica, “Told you she’d be pissed.”

 

“Hush, Daniel.” Veronica hissed.

 

The blond looked different from the last time Sam had seen him, “Hello, little sister.”

 

“Don’t talk to me, Daniel. I’m mad at you too. I heard your little conversation with Mom, so don’t pretend that it’s all her fault. You told her to do it.” Isabel said, eyes snapping between her brother and mother.

 

Veronica put a hand on Isabel’s shoulder, “You were tortured, Isabel. You almost died, and there was nothing I could do to help you. I thought the least I could do was take the mental pain from you. Please, precious, don’t you understand?”

 

Isabel stepped back from the touch, “I understand completely. You were having a pity party and I ended up without a year of my life because of it. How typically my mother, right? Well you threw me into the deep end of a pool I didn’t know existed as a result of your meddling, so thanks a lot. Did you really think I was so weak that being held captive for a few weeks was going to permanently damage me? I’d have gotten over it.”

 

Veronica glanced helplessly at her son, who chuckled darkly, “I’m the angel of wise judgment, Mom, but I’m not always right, especially when I’m cut off from my emotions.” He smiled gently at his sister, “Seeing you hurt like that, I had to cut myself off from the emotional flow to keep from going after our brother myself. You’re my baby sister, Iz, even if you hate me for telling Mom to give you another year as a normal human. I’m sorry that upset you.” His blue eyes travelled over Sam and Dean, “You two hurt my sister, and I’ll smite you where you stand. Clear?”

 

Sam nodded, but Dean took offense, “I would never hurt Isabel.”

 

Daniel nodded, staring pointedly at Sam, “I know you wouldn’t.”

 

“Dean...” Isabel warned, feeling his anger at his brother rising. She looked at her mother again, “I’m mad that you left me unaware and trapped in a life that didn’t feel right. Before Sam came along, I was miserable. I mean, I’d smile and all that, but I was just going through the motions, giving everyone else what they expected of me. Sam brought part of me back, and Dean, him coming, it’s bringing back those memories you tried so hard to hide. So on top of dealing with that a year later than I should have, I’m having to deal with some sort of supernatural puberty that I’m not real thrilled with.”

 

“I’m...sorry, Isabel.” Veronica stuttered.

 

Isabel looked instantly more relaxed, “There. That’s all I wanted.” She launched at her mother, squeezing the redhead tightly, wanting to feel like she had as a little girl one last time, “I love you, Mom.”

 

Veronica smiled, kissing the side of Isabel’s head, “I love you too, Isabel. Always.” They separated and Veronica straightened herself, “Come inside, I’m sure Jesse and Adam are dying to see you.” She motioned to the Winchesters, “I’ve got things to tell you all.” She looked past them, “You too, Mr. Singer. There’s a beer in the fridge with your name on it.” She wasn’t lying either, the house opened up to the kitchen on the left, and when Bobby cautiously approached it, there was literally a beer with his name written on it in fancy black inked letters.

 

“Thank you.” He said, nodding towards the woman.

 

She smiled at him, “The least I could do for you not shooting my daughter this morning.”

 

Isabel looked stricken, “How’d you...?”

 

Veronica shrugged, “You showed me. It crossed your thoughts when you hugged me.” Isabel and the Winchesters looked appropriately horrified. “You need to be careful, Isabel. You’re not as indestructible as you feel.”

 

“What does that mean?” Dean asked, winding an arm around Isabel’s waist as she leaned against Sam.

 

Veronica sighed, “Any of my other children, I can pluck from the afterlife and back into the land of the living. I can heal them with a thought. Those powers don’t work on nephilim. She cannot be healed by any angel, and even I would lack the power to bring her back. If she dies, that’s it. There is no second chance.”


	12. The Day Before You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NEW 6/10/14
> 
> No, your eyes aren't deceiving you! I really did update this story! I'm not entirely happy with the first half-ish, because it's mostly expository yaking, but it was necessary. The latter half is more plot driven and emotional, so I hope you guys like it!

Dean's grip on Isabel tightened considerably. Like the other two of their little triad, he'd assumed that being half angel afforded her some of the angel durability. To find out that she could be so easily taken away from him made his stomach clench violently.

Veronica smiled, despite the overall horrified expression on her listener's faces, "Don't looked so worried. Isabel, darling, you're going to be much stronger and faster than any human, you'll heal faster too, and with powers humans can only imagine, you should be fairly safe. Jesse said you've already healed his friend Will. I'm very pleased to hear that. Will has a great destiny ahead of him. Daniel will show you some of the other things you can do once you all are on the road."

"On the road?" Isabel asked, trying to process everything her mother was throwing at her.

Veronica nodded, "You can't stay here. In an hour, this house won't even exist anymore. You brought the Winchesters here, it's no longer a safe place."

"A safe place for who?" Sam questioned.

"Us."

Sam and Dean stared at the two boys standing at the bottom of the stairs.

Isabel smiled, moving towards them, "Hey, guys. Long time no see!"

Jesse approached cautiously, sliding his arms around Isabel's waist, "Hi, Izzy. I missed you."

Isabel kissed the top of his head, dismayed to find that she didn't have to bend down quite so far to reach him anymore. He'd grown since she'd seen him last, "I missed you too, Jess. Mom been treating you alright?"

Jesse nodded, pressing his face into the center of her chest, his eyes closed tightly, "I don't want you to die."

Isabel shot a glare to her mother, smoothing Jesse's dark hair, "Jess, don't you worry about me. I'll be okay. I've got Sam and Dean watching out for me now."

"Really?" Jesse asked, still inhaling as much of her scent as he could.

Isabel nodded, kissing the top of his head again, "Yeah, Jesse. They're going to keep me safe."

"Good." Jesse mumbled, holding her even tighter. Isabel regretted not seeing him sooner. Since she had picked him up in Kansas, they hadn't been apart for so long before. He looked up at her, "I love you, Izzy."

Isabel laughed, "I love you too, Peanut." She glanced back at the brothers and saw the horrified expressions on their faces, "Guys, what's wrong?"

"Him." Sam mumbled.

Isabel followed his gaze to where Adam was standing at the bottom of the stairs, looking like he wanted to be sick. She'd never seen him look so vulnerable. Isabel held a hand out to him, "Adam? Come here."

Adam ran at her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and burying his face in the crook of her neck. She was used to getting hugged by both of them at the same time, but she wasn't used to Dean grabbing the back of Adam's shirt and jerking him off of her. "Don't touch her."

"Dean!" Isabel yelled, putting Jesse behind her.

Her mother sighed, "Dean, let your brother go."

"Brother?" Isabel echoed, feeling sorely out of sync.

"Half-brother." Sam clarified, staring at Adam, "How are you alive?"

Veronica looked bored, "I brought him back. Insurance of sorts." She smiled at Adam, straightening his shirt, "He's been a great help with Jesse too."

Adam smirked, saying softly, "She just likes it when I make dinner."

Veronica laughed, "What can I say, your baby brother makes one of the best meatloaves I've ever had."

Dean jerked Adam back to him, but this time, he embraced him tightly. "You little shit, letting us think you were dead. I could beat you." Even as he threatened the teenager though, he had his eyes pinched closed, his forehead up against Adam's. Sam looped his arm back around Isabel's waist, and there was a warmth in his touch that told Isabel all she needed to know. Loosing Adam was far harder on Dean than he would ever admit, and this big a display of genuine emotion was more than anything Sam had seen him do in a long time.

Adam laughed, "Sorry, Dean." He looked over at his other brother, "Hey, Sam."

Sam hugged his brother too, saying, "Hey, buddy."

Veronica sidled up to Isabel, "I'm not certain when, but I might need the boys to stay with you for a bit. I'm sure there's not much difference in caring for Sam and Dean."

Isabel nodded, "Sure, whenever you need me to watch them, just let me know."

Veronica laughed, "Precious, when I need you to watch them, they'll just be there. Jesse is a rather extraordinary young boy." She looked to the Winchesters, "Don't fret boys, I've taught Jesse a lot. No more de-brainment based on fairy tales. Jesse has control of his reality distortion, and I've placed my own limits to keep him from tugging on the loose threads of the universe too hard."

Jesse stuck his lower lip out, "I didn't mean to."

Everyone but Adam and Veronica looked confused. Veronica pat Jesse on the cheek, "Not your fault, love. One apocalypse in your childhood is nothing to worry about. It happens to the best of us."

"You?" Isabel said in shock.

Veronica shrugged, "What can I say, Our beloved Heavenly Lord and Master made me a creature a bit stronger than he'd intended. He didn't mind once I'd matured, but my childhood is the reason that most of the prehistoric creatures went extinct."

Dean's jaw dropped, "You were a meteor?"

She laughed, "I was curious, but my impact was more than the planet could handle, sadly. I was chastised greatly and spent two hundred years in my room as penance while He played around with his creation Adam."

Daniel laughed at her from his post at the door, "Classic you, Mom, really. And you always wondered why Izzy was such a rebellious terror as a teenager. I have to say, she leveled out much faster than you did."

Sam was staring at his brother, "You actually payed that much attention in class?"

Dean hauled off a punch, "Bitch!"

Isabel laughed, relieved that they could play fight and it not set off that new odd part in her brain that seemed to be the full form of the submission she'd offered to Sam. She felt her mother slide a hand into hers. "I'm leaving now, Isabel."

"What?" Isabel said, jerking her eyes from her boys to her mother's face.

Veronica smiled maternally, "I'm leaving you with the Winchesters and Daniel. You'll be fine." Veronica dropped her voice, leaning close to Isabel so her words couldn't be heard by the playfully bickering boys, "I know your father said something about your blood changing to Dean, and he's right. Soon, Isabel, your blood is going to change and supernatural creatures will be able to tell exactly what you are when they lay eyes on you, until you learn to hide it at least. It's a normal last step in becoming a full grown nephilim, but unlike the others, your blood itself will change. There's a virus designed to decimate the human race. When your blood changes, you'll be immune to it, but your blood will also be able to cure those infected. Creatures will start coming after you." Veronica kissed Isabel's temple, "Be safe, Isabel, and stay with those boys. They are your only chance at surviving."

"Gee, thanks, Mom. Aren't you cheery." Isabel groused, trying to make herself calm down from her mother's words.

Veronica pulled her close, "I love you, Isabel, and if I could spare you of your future, I would. To do so though, would end the world, and I can't do that. So long as you're very careful, Isabel, I promise that you'll make it through all of this."

"I love you too, Mom." Isabel said softly, her emotional mask slipping.

Her mother smiled, and kissed her one more time on the forehead before looking to her older brother, "Daniel, spend the next few weeks with them, okay?"

The angel shrugged, "Fine with me. I've missed Iz." He pulled his angel blade out of thin air, grinning at her, "Hopefully you've remembered how to fight, baby sister, because you are so in trouble for letting your dog pee on my motorcycle."

"What?" Isabel asked, looking around for Ion. He was outside, and had his leg lifted, peeing on a bright red motorcycle. She stifled a laugh, "Sorry, Danny."

He sighed, letting the blade drop out of existence, "It's okay. Only pity is I can't hurt the mutt."

Anger flashed in Isabel's eyes, "You'd better not try to hurt my dog."

Veronica made a disapproving noise, "You two, cut out the glaring. Isabel, Ion is not a normal dog. You should have figured that out by now, he's nearly twenty three years old."

Dean sputtered, spraying Sam with beer, "A twenty year old Labrador? That's impossible!"

Veronica rolled her eyes at him, "Yes, Dean, for a human pet, it is, but Ion is Isabel's pet, and she is decidedly not completely human. As such, he's a bit more exciting than your average canine. Think of him as the heavenly answer to Hellhounds. Isabel scraped her knee riding her bike with her father when she was four, and Ion licked up her blood. It changed him. I'd hazard to guess that it would take a nuclear bomb to kill the hairy thing. He's physically strong enough to take on a werewolf, resistant to magic, and he's fiercely protective of Isabel. I wouldn't just leave my daughter with just any old dog, but Ion is of her own creation." She shrugged, "Daniel will teach you more about that." She glared at her son, "Be nice to your sister, Daniel, she is the key to this apocalypse after all."

Sam stepped closer to Veronica, "Excuse me, did you say 'this apocalypse'?

Veronica arched an eyebrow at him, "Have you not realized how many you've already gone through? You boys are the best defense this planet has. Isabel's just the tool you need to stop this one." She narrowed her eyes at him, "She's not a toy though. Take care of her, she's an extension of the both of you. Part of a whole. If all goes well, Isabel will stay with you two past this hurtle, and you'll both be better for having her."

"Save the cheerleader, save the world? Really?" Dean quipped.

Veronica smiled, "Exactly. Although Isabel was never athletic enough to be a cheerleader. She would rather read books and help others."

"I always thought cheerleading was a waste of time." Isabel offered in her defense, letting Ion into the house.

"Oh, it is." Veronica said quickly, "But there are some great benefits for overall health." She clapped her hands together. "I really must be going. I've been terribly chatty."

Isabel rolled her eyes, "When are you not chatty?"

Veronica laughed softly, "True. When you're locked up alone for as long as I was you get a little excited when there's company." She kissed Daniel on the cheek, "Be wise, my son."

He chuckled, "Always. I am the angel of wise judgement."

"And you're cocky." Veronica chirped back, "I keep saying you need to get laid, but you just won't listen to me."

Dean frowned at Isabel, "Is your mother secretly a vicarious nympho?"

Isabel shrugged, "I don't know. She's my mother, that's almost all I know most days." She felt a sudden wave of dizziness and leaned into Dean.

"Woah, baby girl, you okay?" He asked, gripping her elbows.

"It's from healing that boy." Daniel said, looking pissed, "She shouldn't have done that. She's too young and he was too sick. She'll need to sleep it off. Like a hangover really. A greasy breakfast in the morning and she'll be fine."

They all looked up when Bobby said, "Balls."

"What?" Sam asked an instant before he realized that Adam, Jesse and Veronica were gone, and the house around them was fading away.

"Relax you ninnies, Mother's always been a drama queen." Daniel said scathingly. "I on the other hand am going to say my goodbyes face to face. So, goodbye."

"Wait, weren't you supposed to teach Isabel about all this angel stuff?" Sam protested.

Daniel rolled his eyes, "I've taught it all to her once before, I won't do it again. Mother thinks too highly of me. She'll remember what she needs all on her own. Besides, there's things near here that you lot need to deal with."

"Like?"

"Vampire nest in Nebraska, loads of demons crawling everywhere. Just your general stuff right now, but you two have been out of the game for long enough. The world needs you." Daniel told them, adding, "I know she can be a pain, but please try to keep my sister safe."

"Bye, Dani." Isabel slurred like she was drunk.

Daniel gave her a soft smile, "Bye, Iz, be good. Call if you need me." He vanished a second later, one swift wingbeat blowing against them.

The three hunters stared at one another before Dean finally hoisted Isabel off her feet, "Come on, let's go find some signs." Isabel mumbled incoherently against his chest and he shook his head, "Yeah, yeah, baby girl. Just don't drool in my car. If you have to, drool on that mutt of yours."

Sam laughed while he held the door open, letting the dog get in first, to Dean's chagrin, "Hey, are you going to be the one to tell the supernatural dog that he can't ride with his human?"

"Good point." Dean said, buckling Isabel into her seat while she continued to mumble like she was high rather than drunk.

They had been driving for about half an hour, on their way back to Bobby's when she finally nodded off, falling sideways onto the dog, who licked her hand a few times before closing his own eyes, "Hey, Dean." Sam began nervously, "Are we seriously going to bring her on a hunt with us?"

Dean shrugged, "Her crazy ass family seemed certain she'd hold her own. We let her help with the research and then she and Fido can hang out in the car. I'm gonna train her myself before she so much as lays eyes on a creepy crawly."

"Sounds good to me." Sam said, and the rest of the ride was silent apart from Isabel and Ion's soft snores. Dean didn't want to drown those sounds out with music.

Sam woke to Isabel laying on top of him. She looked like crap, skin sickly pale in the light coming through the window. She gave him a small smile, moving slightly, "I feel like I got hit by a train."

He laughed, "You look it too."

Isabel rolled off him, purposefully elbowing him as she did so, "Not nice. Dean said Bobby went to some joint in town to get us all breakfast."

"I could have made something." Sam protested slightly, sitting up.

"You were sleeping really deep, Dean figured he'd let you sleep. I get it. It's an older sibling thing. Embrace it. I know I do." She said, stretching before collapsing into a pile next to him, "I feel like I drank a bar."

"No beer, just angel voodoo." Sam explained, pushing some of her hair out of her face.

Dean strode in, "No better cure for a hangover than beer!"

Isabel stared at the beer now in her hands, "Pretty sure adding beer will only make me feel worse."

"Nah, you'll feel better, trust me. Maybe even get some color in your cheeks." Dean urged.

Sam pulled himself from the bed, "You two enjoy your beer, I'm going to get some coffee, like a normal person."

Dean scoffed after Sam left, sitting next to her, "Can you believe that guy?"

Isabel raised the beer in a mock salute, "Cheers." She tipped back a good portion of the alcohol, gasping slightly and making a face, "I really hope that makes me feel better."

"Well, I've got something else that should make you feel better." Dean said, handing her a book. Isabel ran her fingers over the leather jacket, noting the look on Dean's face. He looked like if she didn't appreciate his gift he'd cry, something she was pretty sure wouldn't happen because there was only one journal that could possibly be that important to him.

"Your dad's journal?" She guessed softly, more than certain of her assumption.

Dean nodded, face somber, "Yeah, figured if you're going hunting with us the best place for you to learn everything is from where we learned it." A tiny smile flittered across his face, "That and I know how much you like to read."

Isabel kissed him, trying to put all her emotions into it. Lips just over his she whispered, "Thank you, Dean." He tried to shrug it off like it wasn't a big deal, but she knew it was.

When Sam returned, showered, caffeinated, and dressed, Isabel was curled against Dean's chest, asking Dean a question about demons. She looked better, less sick, comfortable in Dean's arms, eyebrows furrowed in concentration, and Dean... he was the glowing one. Sam had never seen his brother look that way, so 'in the moment'. A part of him wondered if he'd ever seen Dean look so relaxed, and it made his chest ache.

Isabel noticed him darkening the doorway, "Hey, Sammy. Is Bobby back? I'm starving."

Sam nodded numbly, "Yeah, I think he just drove up."

Isabel stood carefully, extricating herself from Dean's grasp, "Come on, boys, lets get grub."

She smiled at Sam as she passed him, trailing a hand along his chest as she did so, Dean following closely behind. Sam marveled at the bond they'd already formed. They'd known each other for less than a week, but now it felt like Dean and Isabel were inseparable. Sam couldn't decide if that made him happy or sad. A thick knot of jealousy settled into his gut, one that refused to leave no matter how hard he tried to push it away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed it! Promise the next chapter won't be so long in coming, I've already got it outlined and the chapter after it is mostly written already!
> 
> Please review!
> 
> -Jenn


	13. You Can Let Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Isabel makes her first demon kill, and forces Sam to confront his jealousy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No sex in this one, but there's more coming up in the next chapter!

**You Can Let Go:**

After they left Bobby’s, they breezed back by Isabel’s, staying just long enough for her to go upstairs to pack another bag of clothes, for Sam to round up Ion’s stuff, and to close the house up more properly.

 

It was Sam who suggested they drive by her childhood home.

 

Isabel had agreed, but when Sam had started to follow her inside the house, Dean stopped him. “No, Sam. She needs to do this by herself.”

 

For Isabel’s sake he kept himself under control, but hissed at Dean, “You just met her. Why the hell do you suddenly think you know her so much better than I do?”

 

Dean’s eyes were cold, “I don’t. I do know that she needs to see her old man alone.”

 

“Why?” Sam asked, just as it all clicked into place. Why Dean and Isabel had connected so quickly. They were both children that had lost a parent to the supernatural and had no one else to talk to about it. Isabel had gone her entire life with the image of her father spread across their house in her head, and Dean could still feel the heat of the fire on his skin. Yes, John had died, but it hadn’t devastated Sam, he’d been old enough to process it. Isabel and Dean on the other hand...they’d never thought about the possibility that Joe and Mary wouldn’t be there, never gotten the chance to say goodbye that first time.

 

Dean could see the puzzle being put together in Sam’s head, could practically hear the gears turning, “See? That’s not something we want to shit around with. Seeing her, it’ll probably end his echo, he’ll be gone, for good. She won’t want our sorry asses in there.”

 

Sam nodded slowly, guilt passing over him in a thick suffocating wave, “Sorry, Dean.”

 

Dean gave him a tight smile, “Not your fault, Sammy.” He gazed towards the house, “She’s something, isn’t she?”

 

 _‘MINE!!’_ Yelled the dark voice that lived in the back of Sam’s mind, but he forced an amiable nod, “Yeah, she is.”

 

Dean kept going, an odd look on his face, “She’s like the sun, and we just...revolve around her.” He looked at Sam, confusion muddling his expression, “Do you feel that too?”

 

Sam shrugged, “I guess. I mean, that’s kind of what everything in the book said. We’re supposed to protect her.”

 

“I guess that’s why I feel like I’d fly off into space if she was suddenly gone.” Dean said heavily, scoffing, “I just met this damn girl, but I’m already halfway out of my damned mind.”

 

“She’s got that effect on us both.” Sam said honestly, feeling the jealousy melt away. Instinct, it was all instinct. He knew almost everything about Isabel, Dean knew very little, but it was instincts that allowed them to connect the way they had. Since Dean had arrived Sam had felt very little change in his own head. His concern and feelings for Isabel were the same, but the thoughts of leaving her in Castlewood had all but vanished. He remembered them, could riddle the logic of that choice, but now, he could never abandon her.

 

The brothers stayed in an amiable silence, leaned up against the Impala, listening for any sign of something going haywire.

 

Sam instantly knows that something is wrong. Tensing beside him, Dean did too. “Izzy.” Sam uttered before sprinting up the side walk, Dean close behind.

 

Isabel’s standing in the entryway, her back to the door, probably the same spot where she saw the remains of her brother and father all those years ago. “Baby girl?” Dean called, reaching out to her first, again going on instinct rather than Sam’s own hard logic.

 

Isabel’s whole body was trembling, shaking in a way that usually would have necessitated that they scene to get her mind and body to reconnect. It had happened a few times before, and Sam hoped she wouldn’t need it this time. They wouldn’t mind, but Dean would. 

 

Isabel shuddered when Dean’s hand rested on her shoulder, and she fell to her knees like a puppet with severed strings. The sobs that echoed through the empty house chilled Sam to the core of his bones. Dean melted around her in the nurturing way he’d held Sam so many times, “Hush, you’re fine. Breath, baby girl.”

 

Sam knelt beside them, suddenly aware of just how much bigger he was than they were. Isabel grabbed his hand and pulled him closer, nestling herself between the two of them as she cried. There’s an understanding on Dean’s face, in every movement he makes, that Sam can’t understand himself. “He’s really gone this time. I feel like I’ve lost him all over again.” Isabel finally murmured, head on Dean’s chest.

 

Dean nodded, “Yeah, I know it does.” Sam could hardly remember Dean ever being so gentle. Maybe in the early days, when Sam had been really young and Dean had tried to protect Sam from their Dad’s wrath, but that had quickly been dispelled on the road.

 

Sam picked Isabel up, and Dean opened the door to the Impala. The nosy neighbors didn’t need to see Isabel cry. Sam sat in the back with her in his lap, Ion whining from the front seat where he’d jumped to much to Dean’s chagrin. “What’d he say?”

 

Isabel laughed brokenly, “He likes you two.”

 

Dean snorted in spite of himself, “Good to know.” He glared at Ion, “You drool on the window and I’ll skin you.”

 

Isabel didn’t dissuade Dean from his threat, but wiped her face, “I’d forgotten how different they are. Human Danny and Angel Daniel. I don’t know how I never noticed.”

 

“You were just a kid.” Sam said soothingly.

 

She shook her head, “Still, they’re nothing alike. Nothing at all. I’d forgotten that he used to act like our dad, and then suddenly, he was all about our mom. Guess I just assumed we’d both changed after what happened.”

 

“Well, I blame that on your mom. Who the hell names two kids the same thing?” Dean offered, grinning devilishly at Isabel. 

 

Isabel laughed, the sound so much more like her usual one, “I don’t know. She’s an odd one, that’s all I got.”

 

Dean kissed her cheek, “We need to get going, baby girl.” He looked at his brother, “You staying back here?”

 

Sam chuckled at the hopeful look on Dean’s face. Him and that dog. Sam pushed Isabel off his lap and into the center seat. “I’m good back here.”

 

Dean pulled a face at the dog, “Damn.”

 

Isabel giggled, snuggling into Sam, “Thanks. To both of you. I needed that. I needed to see them again. And uh...well, apparently my dad wasn’t the first hunter in the family. Bloodlines. Hastings and Winchesters go a long way back. Always helping each other out.”

 

“Doubt any Winchesters helped a Hastings get off before!” Dean quipped, and Isabel kicked the back of his seat.

 

“That was crass.” Isabel complained, but her mood was already better.

 

“Hey, don’t hurt my baby.” Dean yelled, swatting at her knees.

 

Isabel pouted, “I thought I was your baby girl.”

 

Dean pulled a face, “Aww, Iz, don’t make me choose.”

 

Sam thunked his head against hers good naturedly, “He loves his car.”

 

She cuddled into the larger Winchester, “I know.”

 

They’d stopped for gas when Isabel led Sam to the back of the Impala while Dean went inside to get some food. Sam looked at the inconspicuous bag hanging from Isabel’s right hand in total shock. “Is that...”

 

Isabel nodded, all too pleased with herself. “Dean wasn’t looking.”

 

If they’d been anywhere but the parking lot of a gas station, Sam would have picked her up, thrown her onto the closed trunk of the Impala and fucked her until she couldn’t see straight. “Shit.”

 

Isabel worried her bottom lip with her teeth. “Surprise?”

 

Sam laughed heartily, “A good surprise, Izzy, a good one.” His moment of levity failed. “Dean though.”

 

She rolled her eyes at him, “You’re not giving Dean very much credit. He may not participate actively, but I really think he’ll be all too willing to appreciate it.”

 

Sam quirked an eyebrow at her, “Oh, really? Because you know my brother so well. You’ve been fucking him for less than two weeks.”

 

Isabel slapped him, scowling darkly. At her side, Ion growled, teeth bared. “Do not speak to me like I’m a whore.” She poked a finger into his chest, “You have no idea how hard this has all been for me. I love you, but you have got to get over yourself!”

 

She stalked away, joining Dean inside. Ion put himself firmly between Sam and the convenience store, body arched to attack if Sam so much as took a step closer to his mistress. Sam put his back against the Impala, facing the highway so he didn’t have to look at the beast that kept growling at him.

 

And then the growling stopped.

 

For a few seconds, Sam just assumed that the dog had gotten tired.

 

Then Isabel started screaming. “SAM!!”

 

He practically jumped over the Impala, running into the store as fast as humanly possible. He froze in the doorway. Dean was on the ground, head in Isabel’s lap, the both of them covered in blood. Isabel’s angel blade was buried in what seemed to have once been the store clerk. Dean was holding Isabel’s hand tightly, gasping for air, bleeding from several stab wounds on his chest.

 

Isabel was sobbing, using her free hand to press down on Dean’s wounds, “I don’t know how...I don’t know how to help him!” Her eyes were wide, cheeks tearstained, and she looked like a terrified child. 

 

Sam took one deep breath and sunk to his knees next to them, putting a large hand over hers, calming her and adding pressure to help Dean. “Hang in there, Dean.” He looked into Isabel’s face, “I’m sorry.”

 

She scoffed, “Not the time, Sam. Dean’s dying, I can feel it.”

 

“So make it stop.” Sam told her, trying to recall how it had felt when he’d had the powers from the Yellow-Eyed Demon.

 

Isabel furrowed her eyebrows, nodding slowly. “Okay. Make it stop. I think I can do that.”

 

Dean’s breathing got better slowly, each rasp less shaking, until he was smiling up at Isabel. Still covered in his own blood and dressed in a ripped up shirt, but he was whole. “That’s my girl!”

 

A vague smile passed across Isabel’s face as she lost consciousness. They both grabbed her. “Did she get hurt?!” Sam yelled at his brother.

 

Dean shook his head, “No, he didn’t notice her until she put that blade in his back.”

 

Ion shuffled over, bumping his nose against Isabel’s arm. The dog fell and Isabel jerked awake. “Ion!” The dog’s eyes were open, but he looked just on the edge of sleep. She stroked his fur. “Didn’t know either of us could do that.” She struggled to her feet, pulling Dean up with her. “We need to go before someone comes.” Pulling her blade out of the previously possessed store clerk, face oddly calm. She closed the man’s eyes, whispering softly to him and then speaking to the brothers, “I remember now, how to kill. I remembered how to kill, but not how to heal. How screwed up is that?” She put her arms around Dean, burrowing her face into his chest, smearing more blood onto herself but not caring. “You could have died.”

 

Dean pushed her away gently, “But I didn’t. You saved me, okay, baby girl?” He gestured to his brother with a tip of his head, “Grab the dog, Iz is right, we need to split.”

 

Sam did as he was told, and then the four of them were on the road again, Isabel curled in the back seat with her sleeping dog, looking more pensive than alarmed. About thirty minutes after they’d left the gas station, Dean pulled off into the trees, hauling Isabel out of the car with him and opening the trunk. Sam grabbed a trash bag and held it for their bloodied clothes, and then pulled out towels and water for them to wash their skin with.

 

For the first time, Isabel was naked, but neither of the brothers were remotely tempted to start anything. The day had been too long, too much too quickly.

 

Isabel was still quiet, but Sam could tell she wasn’t totally lost, just thinking. “He didn’t know what I was.” She finally said after they’d gotten back on the road, the sun just starting to set.

 

“What?” Sam asked, turning so he could see both of them.

 

Dean bobbed his head, “The demon recognized me after a few minutes of watching, kept mouthing off to me, but he didn’t do any of that to Isabel. She didn’t give him much of a chance, but, still. Didn’t both of your parents talk about demons recognizing you by smell?”

 

Isabel nodded, fingers laced in the softness of Ion’s fur, “They said my blood would change soon. Guess it hasn’t yet.” She laughed softly, “It’s a good thing too, or we’d both be dead.”

 

Sam’s gut clenched. He couldn’t imagine them both being gone, just like that. Dean had almost died, would have if Isabel hadn’t been there. She could have died too, had she been in there with Dean when he was attacked and not come up behind the man stabbing Dean.

 

They checked into a motel and Isabel rushed into the shower leaving the brothers to get a still passed out Ion settled onto the motel sofa. Isabel came out pouting at Sam, hair wet and skin red, dressed in a T-shirt and boxer’s she’d stolen from him at some point. “I’m cramping.”

 

Sam sighed. He’d known she was being erratic, but he figured that it was supernatural, not normal. “Come here.”

 

She stayed back, and he could feel Dean watching the both of them, “We need to talk first.”

 

“About...?” Sam asked even though he already knew.

 

“About you acting the way you have been. We were fighting, and I was so upset by you that I couldn’t feel Dean. He almost died because I couldn’t tell he was in the middle of a damned fight.” She looked ready to fight again, but took a deep breath. “I recognized that look on your face when it showed up two days ago.”

 

“What look?” Dean asked, and Sam shot a glare at him.

 

“That one.” Isabel informed the older Winchester. “It’s the same one that popped up at the block party when John-David cornered me. I thought you were going to take his hand off because he touched me.” She shook her head, miffed by his behavior, “Usual seeing you all possessive is a huge turn on, but not now. I love you, Sam, and I’m learning to love Dean already. Yes, it may be because of some nephilim caveman thing, but it’s happening and I can’t help myself.” A small smile flitted across her face, “I’m not going to lie and tell you that I wish it was just you and me again because I don’t.”

 

Sam flinched.

 

Isabel stepped closer and took one of his hands in hers, “We’re better now. Can’t you feel it? I know you felt something missing before because I did too. That feeling is gone now, isn’t it?” Sam nodded, not looking into her face. Isabel grabbed his chin, forcing him to look at her, “That was Dean. He’s what was missing, and, Sam, I don’t love you any less than I did before. If anything, I love you more.”

 

He swallowed, forcing himself to speak again, “How?”

 

Isabel smiled, “Because for the first time in our relationship, you’re not lying to me. No more half truths and avoidances. It’s amazing.”

 

“How can it be amazing to find out your boyfriend kills the monster under the bed for a living?” Sam said, almost petulantly.

 

“It’s amazing because now I know what your nightmares are about. I could spend all night listing the things I know about you, your favorite ice cream, favorite song, what your favorite toy is, but you totally blocked me off from the deepest parts of you.” She looked so vulnerable standing next to Sam, almost a whole foot in height separating the two.

 

Dean had to say something, “Favorite toy? I’m guessing you’re not talking about Tickle-me Elmo.”

 

“Nipple clamps. He likes to watch me squirm.” Isabel said honestly, pulling Dean to the both of them, “Seriously though, if this is going to work, we have to be honest with each other. I realize that’s not going to be easy for you two. I know you’re used to lying your asses off every day, but you’ve got to try. What happened this afternoon can’t ever happen again.”

 

Dean chuckled, “Yeah, almost dying sucks the fun right out of shit.”

 

Isabel scowled at him, but the expression didn’t have any heat. “Not funny, Dean Winchester.” She forced her eyes back to Sam, to make sure he was with her and not stuck in another fit of jealousy. “I’ve got a big heart, and you know that. There’s no reason for you to feel like Dean’s taking anything from you or that I’m going to play favorites. Let it go. We’re three parts of a whole unit. It’s going to take time for us to figure it all out, but we can’t block each other out first.”

 

Sam nodded. “You’re right.” He looked at his brother, “I’m sorry. I know this isn’t your fault, it isn’t anyones fault, and I’m just going to have to deal with it.”

 

Isabel was beaming, but Sam could tell she was tired, could tell that with every minute that passed the pain in her abdomen grew. He picked her up and put her on the bed. “Saaamm.” She groaned when he pressed on her lower back.

 

He shushed her and she curled in on herself, “Honesty works both ways, Izzy. I’ve told you before to tell me if you’re hurting.”

 

“I did tell you, and then I insisted on staying standing to run my mouth. Dean, come here.” She added a soft “please” as an after thought.

 

Dressed for bed already, Dean didn’t give her any trouble, and slid into bed next to her, “You okay?”

 

Isabel nodded, eyes pinched closed in pain, “Happens every month, you think I’d be used to it. Some months are worse than others though.”

 

Dean kissed her forehead as Sam turned off the lights and got into the bed behind Isabel, resuming his work on the spasming muscles of her back, “That’s not what I meant, baby girl. You killed a demon today.”

 

He felt her nod, “I killed a man today too. That clerk. I didn’t even think about it either, I just killed him.” She slid her arms around him, head on his chest that, just hours earlier, had been torn apart, “You could have died though, so it’s okay.” Her head knocked into his collarbone a second later and she hissed a bit as Sam’s hands found one of the spots aching in her body.

 

“Breathe, Izzy.” Came Sam’s voice in the darkness. A few seconds later, “That help?”

 

Her only response was to let out a satisfied hum and to nestle her hips closer to Sam so it was more comfortable for him to keep the pressure up as they drifted off to sleep. Dean brushed his lips against her forehead. She’d brought Sammy back to him and saved his life in more than one way. They’d be just fine.


	14. The Lightning Strike (What If This Storm Ends?)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean gets another spontaneous tattoo, Isabel gets a little handsy during nap time, and Sam's just having a great time keeping them both from getting themselves killed!
> 
> Enjoy!

**The Lightning Strike (What If This Storm Ends?): Snow Patrol**

Dean was having a really hard time getting in line with Isabel’s ferocious mood swings. One minute she was herself, and the next she was a raging bitch, snapping at him and Sam like they were lunch meat. Her current mood was flirty. They were driving full tilt to take out a vampire nest in New Orleans while Bobby took the one closer to home, and Dean was supposed to be napping while Sam drove. It was pretty damned hard with Isabel carding her fingers through his hair and asking him to take his clothes off, “I want to see it.”

 

“What?” Dean choked out, jerking up.

 

Isabel smiled, so innocent and demure that he almost fell for it, “Your tattoo. I’ve glimpsed it before, but never gotten to take a good look at it.”

 

Sam glanced over his shoulder, saying sternly, “Isabel...”

 

She pursed her lips, pouting, “I just want to look. Besides, it’s on his back. Jeez, I’m not asking him to take his pants off in the car when I’m currently a no fly zone.”

 

Sam scoffed, “We both know that’s never stopped you.”

 

“Oh, shut it.” She snapped half heartedly before returning to fiddle with the hem of Dean’s shirt. “Come on, you can go to sleep after.”

 

Dean groaned and lifted his shirt. Isabel kissed his anti-possession tattoo before he turned over, facing the window. She traced the Enochian tattoo with the tip of her finger, “I can never get over how lovely Enochian is.”

 

Dean grunted, “It’s all gibberish to the rest of us.”

 

“Perk of being a nephilim, I guess.” She whispered, seemingly entranced by the tattoo.

 

Suddenly, Dean hissed, jerking away from her touch, “Ouch!”

 

“What?” Sam asked from the front seat, trying to see the pair in the rearview mirror in order to try to keep his eyes on the road.

 

“It’s fucking burning!” Dean hissed, twisting in an effort to see the mark on his back.

 

Isabel kept trying to get him to hold still so she could look too, and finally resorted to grabbing his package through his pants. “Hold still!” She yelled, accentuating her words with a not so gentle squeeze.

 

Dean froze, hardening in her hand despite the stinging in his back. They must have been a sight, Dean half on the floorboard in the Impala with Isabel behind him. All they needed was a strap on and it would have been a porno. “What is it?” Dean finally croaked as Sam pulled the car off into a wooded area and threw it into park.

 

Isabel was quiet, tracing her hand over him again, but now her touch soothed the burn. “I’m not sure. There’s something new. I can’t read it, it’s like it’s blurred.”

 

Sam peered over her shoulder, “That’s freaky.”

 

“Am I gonna die? Is some hoodoo tattoo going to kill me?” Dean asked, half hysterical, and very, very pissed. Mildly turned on too, if he had to admit it, but just because of Isabel’s hand.

 

“Relax, Dean, it’s clearing up.” Sam said, placing one of his hands on Dean’s back to move the mark into better light. “Can you read it?” Sam asked Isabel, putting a hand on her shoulder.

 

“Almost.” Isabel whispered, moving her hand up to rest on Dean’s abs, holding him still. Finally the black ring settled enough that she could make out the letters encircling the one that marked him as Faith. “Got it.” Isabel told them before relaying the message, “Faith is greatest when expressed through love.”

 

The instant she read the words, the burning in Dean’s back stopped. Breathing through the stress from the pain, Dean asked, “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

 

“Not a clue.” Isabel said, rubbing his back comfortingly, “You okay?”

 

Dean rested his forehead against the Impala’s leather seat, “Don’t really appreciate being used as a cosmic Etch-e-sketch.”

 

“I didn’t ask if you were happy, I asked if you were okay.” Isabel groused, rolling him over so he could lay across the seats, Sam moving to accommodate his legs on the seat.

 

Dean’s eyes were closed, “I’ve got a killer migraine now.”

 

Isabel and Sam shared a long look before Isabel maneuvered her way under Dean, resting his head in her lap and placing a hand on either side of his head, “Rest, Dean.”

 

He was asleep in less than thirty seconds, and Sam slid into the front seat, “What was that?”

 

“I have no idea.” Isabel answered.

 

“I do.” He said slowly, “I don’t understand it, but...it’s got something to do with a verse in the Bible.”

 

“I wouldn’t know.” Isabel told him, carding her fingers through Dean’s short hair. “Mom never had us read the Bible. Of course that’s odd now. An angel that isn’t obsessed with the word of God. Although now, I suppose she’s his disgruntled ex-wife, so I don’t blame her for not forcing it all on the two of us.” She sighed, “I mean me.”

 

“How’s Dean?” Sam asked half an hour later, rubbing between Ion’s eyes, the dog having inched closer and closer, his head now on Sam’s thigh, sound asleep.

 

Isabel kissed Dean’s forehead, “I think he’s fine, that just took a lot out of him.” Her eyes travelled down his body, “How the hell are you two both so attractive?”

 

Sam chuckled, “Our dad was nice looking, I guess.”

 

“What about your mom?” She asked, tracing around Dean’s anti-possession tattoo, pressing her thighs together at the delight in being in complete control of such a strong man.

 

“I don’t remember her, but we’ve done some time travel, so I saw her once.” Sam said thickly. “She was very pretty, a lot like you actually, fragile looking and blonde. Dean and I mostly look like Dad.”

 

Isabel ran a finger over Dean’s full lips, “I wouldn’t say that. You and Dean are both pretty.”

 

“Isabel.” Sam said warningly, knowing exactly where her mind was headed.

 

“Keep driving.” Isabel requested, flicking the buckle on Dean’s belt open. She wanted to see the stress completely melt away from his face. She hated what she’d brought into their lives. Some crazy tattoo being burned into his skin? It was awful. While full on sex might have been off the table for a few hours more, Sam was right, Isabel wasn’t one to shy away from oral, especially since at the moment, that was all she could give to them. She'd kill for a shower.

 

“If we get pulled over, you’re paying all the fines.” Sam told her, adjusting the rearview mirror so he could watch.

 

“Don’t get pulled over.” She said, unbuckling and sliding out from under Dean, putting his head on the pillow she’d taken to keeping in the back at all times. Isabel kneeled on the floorboard, taking a hold of Dean’s jeans and pulling them down slowly, pausing every time he made a noise like he was about to wake up. Ten, desperate minutes later, and his jeans were in a puddle on the floorboard and Isabel kneeling between his spread thighs.

 

Sam watched every move, amazed that Dean was sleeping through it all, but Isabel was being so careful, so gentle, her face carrying a soft smile the whole time. She scraped her nails across Dean’s chest, his nipples tightening, cock hardening slightly.

 

Isabel got comfortable, leaning down, licking her lips as she grasped him gently. She licked the tip, tasting the saltiness of his pre-come on her tongue. The heat coming off him made her burn. He was making little breathy sounds at her touch, and Isabel figured he’d only be asleep for a few minutes longer. She used her free hand to brush the pad of her thumb over his nipple again, then pinched it at the same time that she took the head of his cock into her mouth. Isabel had to stop for a few seconds, too overwhelmed to suck on him and remember to breathe at the same time.

 

Sam chuckled knowingly from the drivers seat, adjusting himself in his pants.

 

Isabel glared, slamming a palm against Sam’s head rest, knocking his head forward, “Damnit, Isabel.” He hissed, rubbing the back of his head, glaring back at her through the rearview mirror.

 

She hushed him with a finger against her reddened lips before lowering herself back to Dean.

 

Since he was still asleep, she took her time, tracing every vein on his cock with her tongue, and sucking a bright red mark into the crook of his leg. He jerked awake just a few seconds before he came, spilling down her throat with a guttural yell. “Son of a bitch!”

 

Gasping, Dean locked his green eyes on Isabel, fists clenched on the leather seats. Isabel grinned, wiping semen off her chin and licking more off her lips, the very picture of debauchery as she said, “Rise and shine!”

 

Sam chuckled, “Forgot to warn you, she’s got a bit of an oral fixation.”

 

“A bit?” Dean chocked out as Isabel cleaned his spent cock with her tongue.

 

She handed his underwear back to him, a satisfied smile on her face, “I’m a complicated gal, and you just looked far too tempting for me to resist.”

 

After pulling his underwear on, Dean rubbed his hands over his face, stubble scratching at his palms, “You two are going to kill me.”

 

“Oh, Dean, just a little death, promise.” Isabel promised, laying across the seat and forcing him to his side so they could spoon.

 

Dean wrapped his arms around her, pulling her body flush to his and kissing the back of her neck, “Just for that, we start training when we get to Louisiana.”

 

Isabel groaned, “Yay. Can we at least visit the French Quarter before you start kicking my ass?”

 

Sam shrugged, “We need to start staking the place out as soon as possible.”

 

“Oh, come on, Sam. I can do that without being babysat by you two. I took a break from hunting, I didn’t forget how.” Dean grumbled.

 

Isabel sighed happily, “That’s settled, perfect. I’ve never really had much of a chance to travel before.”

 

The brothers both started laughing, and Dean kissed the back of her neck again, “Well, get used to it now, baby girl. We never stay one place for too long. Too many people need us to help save their sorry asses.”

 

“I know.” She said quietly, and was asleep for the rest of the drive.

 

“I should wake her how she woke me, shouldn’t I?” Dean said to his brother once they parked.

 

“Nah, Isabel gets horny as hell when she’s on her period, but try to go anywhere below her belt and she turns into a rabid little karate ninja.” Sam warned severely. “Women.”

 

“Women.” Dean agreed, resorting to his favorite method of waking Sam up. The Wet Willy.

 

“Holy shit!” Isabel screamed, practically jumping out of the door Sam was holding open. The brothers were laughing hysterically as Dean climbed out after her. “So not funny!” She growled, rubbing furiously at her ear, “Nasty!”

 

Dean had a half second to react before she started chasing him.

 

Sam sighed, a smile on his face as he went into the motel’s lobby to get a room. Dean and Isabel joined a few minutes later, both red faced and laughing, “Damn, Sammy, she’s fast.”

 

Isabel giggled from her spot on Dean’s back, arms loose around his neck, “He forgot, I grew up with a big brother too. Angel or not, Danny terrorized me like any other big brother would have.”

 

“Glad you two are wired.” Sam muttered before turning back to the motel manager, “I think they had too much candy on the ride here.”

 

“You said just one room?” The woman repeated for what had to have been the third time, still stuck in a cycle of disbelief.

 

Sam winced, “Yeah, just one.” The woman practically threw the key at him. Walking out with the other two, he shook his head, “I said two beds.”

 

“Some people just can’t handle it when kinky folks like us pop up.” Isabel said, hopping off Dean’s back to let Ion out of the Impala, “Of course, she probably thinks you two are gay. Wonder what she thinks of me?” She added idly, whistling to Ion when he strayed too far in the parking lot.

 

Sam slid behind her, “Probably not that you’re the wanton little cock slut you are.”

 

Isabel chuckled. His voice was dark, but the gentle way he held her let her know that his words were just meant in jest, not that he was going to whip her collar out and take her on the hood of the Impala, “Very funny, mister. And here I am on the last legs of my monthly visitor! Sucks for you!” She ducked out of his arms, grabbing her bag from Dean, “I’m going to shower, change clothes, and then you promised to take me out to see the sights. So that’s what we’re going to do!”

 

“Hey, that was Dean that made that plan, not me. I’m exhausted.” Sam sighed, throwing his bag on the first queen sized bed.

 

“Jeez, if I stripped naked right here you wouldn’t be so tired.” Isabel said sarcastically.

 

“Come on, man, just take the girl out. You’d never be any good use on a stake out alone if you’re falling asleep. I’m sure Izzy can keep you entertained.” Dean said, holding a bottle of dark red liquid up in Isabel’s direction, “Deadman’s blood, poison to vamps, got it?”

 

“I know, Dean, you told me when you guys went and got it.” Isabel said snidely, going into the bathroom.

 

“Teacher’s pet. She’s a teacher’s pet. I’m surrounded by teacher’s pets.” Dean said ten minutes later, aghast at the realization.

 

“Seriously, Dean? Not everyone needs to be told the same thing fifteen times for it to stick.” Sam said, grinning at his older brother as the older man pulled a face at him.

 

“Now, now, boys, no fighting.” Isabel said, coming out dressed in shorts, an ACDC t-shirt  from Dean’s bag over a white long sleeved shirt, and her favorite Converse. She knelt next to her dog, who licked her face lovingly, “I know, you’re my good boy, you’d never do anything wrong.” She stood up again, ruffling the gold hair on top of the dog’s head as she grabbed Sam’s arm. “Come on, Sammy, let’s go!”

 

“Text me if you find anything.” Sam ordered his brother as he was dragged out of the room by Isabel, her wet blonde locks bouncing behind her.

 

Dean gazed at the dog, “Guess it’s just you and me, bud. Let’s go find some vamps.” He got suited up and headed out, glad they were close enough to the tourist parts of town that Isabel and Sam had left Baby for him. Grudgingly, he let Ion sit in the front seat again. “No drool, bud. Drool, and I’ll figure out how to make myself some fur boots.” The dog whined in response, but laid down, paw touching Dean’s leg, “Suck up, just like your Momma, eh?” Ion whined again, “Okay, I get it, let’s go kick some ass. Hopefully vampires can’t give Krypto the super-dog suped up parvo. That happens, and, bud, you’re on your own.” He stared up at the red light he was stopped in front of, “Shit, I’m talking to a dog.”

 

Already halfway into town, Isabel was having a blast, and even Sam was starting to loosen up. “Smile!” Isabel cooed, pressing her cheek to his and snapping a picture with her phone.

 

“You’re enjoying this way too much.” Sam told her, but the smile on his face seemed to like being there, especially when she wrapped her arms around his waist and looked up at him, that same love glowing in her eyes.

 

“Of course I am. I’m with you in an amazing city I never could have dreamed of seeing.” She told him, and they kissed languidly for a few minutes under the bright lights of the city. “How are you feeling about earlier?” She finally asked as they were walking through the Quarter.

 

“You mean when you gave Dean a blow job while he was asleep and I was driving?” Sam said haughtily.

 

Isabel nodded, “Were you mad?”

 

“Shit, Izzy, how could I be mad? A little jealous, sure, but...” He caught the look on her face and groaned defensively, “I said a little!” She pursed her lips, and he brushed her hair out of her face, “Would it be sick for me to say I could have watched you do that all day?”

 

A faint blush colored Isabel’s face, and she shook her head, “Not any sicker than the fact that I dream about a whole slew of other depraved things.”

 

They started walking again, and Sam asked, “You really think he’d be okay with watching me color your ass bright red.”

 

Isabel chuckled, “He’d probably give me a few whacks of his own. I’m not worried. He’ll come around when he’s ready. Not like he doesn’t already know we’re freaks in the bedroom.”

 

“Or car.” Sam said wryly, wanting to see her smile. She dissolved into giggles, the smile he was looking for brightening his whole mood, but she suddenly stopped, hands on his chest. “What is it?”

 

Isabel stood on tiptoe, pulling him into a hug, “I think we’re being followed.”

 

Sam jumped slightly in her arms, “What?” He held her tighter, and to anyone they looked like any other young couple stopped to make out amongst the sights of the Quarter. “Who?”

 

“Two shops back, dark hair.” Isabel whispered against his ear.

 

Sam forced a smile, like she’d just told him something particularly naughty, as he scanned the crowd. “Shit, she knows who I am.”

 

“Ex-girlfriend?” Isabel chirped.

 

Sam grimaced, “No, vampire-that-got-away.”

 

“Perfect. Guess I won’t be getting any more shopping done.” Isabel said wryly, handing Sam his phone out of his back pocket, “See where Dean is.”

 

“Whatever happens, you are staying in the car.” Sam half growled at her as he dialed the number of the phone Dean was currently using.

 

They rendezvoused with Dean, who reiterated the order, looking between her and the dog with a firm, “Stay here.”, as the boys went to war, storm clouds rolling in.

 

It only took five minutes for Isabel to get worried, and she found herself wandering into the abandoned club the vampires were nesting in. Not the smartest thing she’d ever done, but the instant she’d left the car, leaving Dean’s ACDC shirt with Ion, her angel blade had appeared in her hand. Quite the handy thing, as it turned out. With it in her hand, the girl in her head was back, coaching her through how to fight the female vampire she encountered in the doorway, explaining just how to use the short blade to decapitate her. In a haze, Isabel drifted inside after killing the other female, bleeding from a scratch on her arm and covered in vampire blood. The urge to vomit was overwhelming.

 

The boys were outnumbered, but fine, and a bleeding Isabel served as a fantastic distraction. She killed one more before being pinned down by a male, much taller than Dean and wider than Sam. His teeth gnashed in the air next to her face, and only her half baked angel strength kept him at bay. Her heart had nearly hammered out of her chest until the vampire’s head suddenly rolled away, a fresh cascade of blood covered her, and his body fell on top of her. Isabel trembled under the weight, not moving until Dean rolled the body off of her. Dean toweled the blood off her face and then they were in the motel room, Dean looking her over better in the light, the anger on his face scaring her more than the vampires had. It was too much. She couldn’t breathe.

 

All at once, she felt herself disconnect.

 

Sam’s firm voice pulled all the loose threads of herself a little closer, and when he touched her, all the pieces got thrown back together. Her mind was one raw, aching wound, but all she needed to soothe the ache was hearing Sam’s voice and obeying every word. The rest of cognizance could come later, once she could finally breathe again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Isabel's definitely got some PTSD issues, and the next chapter is about her coming out of her shell-shocked state...also, the next chapter is like 85% smut...okay, maybe even 95%. I'm almost done with it, and comments and kudos always help me write faster!
> 
> Any guesses to what “Faith is greatest when expressed through love” means? Love to hear your theories!
> 
> A clue for the next chapter is the chapter song, 'Closer' by Tegan and Sara.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	15. Closer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So, here's the full on threesome smut! Which quickly devolves into a tiny bit of Season 6 plot…so… And a bookend of biting and Angry!Dean. And a longer than usual chapter!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note on the D/s stuff: I'm not gonna claim this is healthy at all. Isabel's got issues and Sam's got issues. Isabel is severely scarred from her father's murder, not to mention hearing voices in her head her whole life. They all need therapy, lots of therapy, but all they've just got one another for the time being. As seen in the show, however, Sam's naturally very sexually dominating, Dean is not. A lot of this chapter is Dean trying to figure it all out and more through his point of view.
> 
> Note on the anal sex: Superhuman DNA, that's the whole reason they didn't need to spend a whole lot more time prepping Isabel. In other words, don't think that double penetration is that easy to do in real life. Fantasy, people, fantasy.
> 
> Anyway, please be kind! Writing sex scenes is pretty new and unfamiliar territory for me!

**Closer: Tegan & Sara**

“Are you fucking crazy?” Dean yelled, pulling the sleeves of her tattered shirt up. “Did he bite you?”

 

“No, he didn’t.” Isabel replied, voice wobbling.

 

Dean wasn’t satisfied by her answer. “You could have been bitten, Isabel. We were fine, we told you to stay put.” He examined a cut on her arm, apparently the source of all the fresh red blood. It was already sealing shut. He continued to grumble, looking her over thoroughly.

 

“Dean, you need to stop.” Sam said firmly.

 

Dean looked to his brother, “What?”

 

“You’re scaring her.”

 

Dean instantly loosened his grip on her arms. He looked at her face and wished he hadn’t. She was totally still, eyes wide and fixed on some point far beyond them, her mouth was open slightly, her chin trembling as she pulled in quick ragged breaths, “Shit, Iz, I’m sorry.”

 

She looked close to tears and didn’t respond.

 

“Isabel.” Sam said firmly, putting a hand under her trembling chin, “Are you alright?”

 

She slowly shook her head, pressing against Dean, her fingers white against the plaid fabric of his shirt. “No.”

 

“What do you need?” Sam asked, rubbing his thumb in circles on her cheek.

 

Isabel took in a harsh breath at his question, releasing her hold on Dean like he had burned her, stepping back and letting her hands fall to her sides. Whispering, “Master”, Isabel sank to her knees, staring up at him, waiting for him to give her what she needed.

 

Sam tried to quell the excitement that stirred in him at her whispered word, he really did, but that small, fragile voice never failed to send his dick into overdrive. He needed this just as much as she did. When her emotions got too out of hand, she’d shut down, and only one of their scenes could bring her out of it. Of course, they didn’t have all of the items they’d enjoyed back in her house, and the items they did have were still in the back of the Impala, but they did have her collar. When Sam slid it around her throat and buckled it snuggly against her skin, she visibly relaxed into the role, tension fleeing her limbs, her eyes fluttering closed. “I’ll take care of you.” He murmured against her skin, kissing the back of her neck just above the silver buckle, letting her blonde hair tumble back down to her shoulders. “Strip.”

 

It wasn't about trying to be sexy, so she pulled off her clothes in a rush with visible excitement, handing her already wet underwear to Sam, who praised her softly, examining her bare body to make sure she wasn’t hurt anymore than the small cut on her arm that was already healing. She folded her torn clothes as neatly as she could before returning to her submissive pose on the ground.

 

He could hear Dean settling into the chair across the room, and when he glanced at his older brother, he didn’t see the contempt he’d expected to. Dean’s eyes looked heated, and he was leaned forward in the chair, watching them with rapt attention and a glaze of confusion. Sam fingered the collar, “You look so beautiful in this.” Isabel trembled in response, knowing that with the collar on, she wasn’t allowed to speak unless he told her to. That brought a grin to Sam’s face, and he brushed her hair gently out of her face, “Good girl.” The corners of her lips twitched up infinitesimally, and Sam laughed, watching the shock fade from her eyes ever so slightly, “There you are.” He kissed her gently, his lips hovering over hers afterwards, exulting in the fact that she was alive and not a new member of the undead. “You scared us today.”

 

“I’m sorry.” Isabel whispered.

 

Sam startled Dean, surging forward and slapping Isabel’s ass. She gasped, and Sam fisted a hand in her hair, “You weren’t given permission to speak, Isabel. Mind your manners or you won’t get to come tonight. Count out your punishment.” Isabel obediently draped herself over his lap.

 

Dean winced at the noise that was produced when Sam’s hand landed on her ass again. He became very aware that the first swat had just been a warning. This was Isabel’s punishment. Within the first ten spanks, Isabel’s ass was bright red, and Sam’s mouth was set into a grim line.

 

Sam knew when the tears started to roll down Isabel’s face, and hated it just a little bit, but knew that she needed her emotions worked out like that. He also knew that punishing her like this was the only way he’d be able to keep himself from continuing to be angry at her for getting in over head when they’d told her what she had to do to stay safe. He glanced back at Dean, who looked uneasy but intrigued, and kept his eyes on his brother as he moved Isabel from her crouch across his lap to rest against his chest while she pulled herself together. He kissed her temple, “You did beautifully, Isabel. I’m proud of you.Why don’t you go greet Dean? You really upset him. Let’s see if you can be a good girl now.”

 

Dean watched the fire roar to life in Isabel’s eyes at the challenge. He’d been under the assumption that it was fear that drove Isabel to his brother like this, but it wasn’t. She truly enjoyed it, she enjoyed the challenge of following Sam, enjoyed pleasing him. She crawled towards Dean like a cat, her hips swaying just enough to tantalize him. Dean hardly noticed that he was reaching out to touch her until his hand cupped her cheek.

 

She grinned, and pulled herself up with his knees a bit before settling between his legs. She had his cock out of his pants before he’d even realized her fingers had been on his belt buckle. He’d been mostly asleep the last time she’d given him a blow job, only a day before that seemed so long ago, but how could he have forgotten how amazing it was to be in her mouth? He lost himself in her. Isabel stared up at him as she worked his cock with her mouth, her fingers gently teasing his balls. Dean stared back at her, “Careful, baby girl. I won’t last very long if you keep doing that.”

 

There was a smirk visible in her eyes for a second before she started sucking his cock. Dean threw his head back, and as he did so, caught a good look at Sam. His younger brother was sitting on the bed, his own cock in hand, watching every move Isabel made with rapt attention. He almost came then, but Isabel pulled back abruptly, looking to Sam. He gave her a nod, and breathed out, “Keep going, Isabel. Good girl. You can finish him off.”

 

She returned to Dean with vigor, hollowing out her cheeks and sucking so hard he was sure his brain was being sucked out of his dick. When he came with a loud moan, she swallowed as much as she could, but the sight of her with his come dripping out of the side of her mouth nearly made him hard again. He'd need a little bit more time to catch his breath though. His eyes trailed back across the room to his brother.

 

Sam had come too, all over his hand and stomach, more than likely ruining the pants he’d carelessly left bunched around his thighs. “Isabel, did you like that?” He asked, panting with the effort to bring himself back under control.

 

When she nodded vigorously, Dean became aware that Isabel had moved to rest her head on the inside of his thigh, and her warm breath tickled his skin. He looked down. While she was wrapped around him, his leg wedged between her breasts, her eyes were on Sam.

 

Sam was smiling, the kind he usually reserved for their brotherly bonding moments, the one that said he was completely content. Dean wasn’t even phased by watching his brother walk across the room to them, his own come dripping down his skin. Sam had wiped his hands off though, by the time his lopping walk has gotten him to them. He knelt beside Dean, right in front of Isabel and cupped her cheek with one of his big hands, not looking perturbed at all when he wiped his own brother’s semen off her chin, “I’m proud of you, Isabel. You scared the crap out of us, but you did good.” He glanced up at Dean as he touched the latch at Isabel’s neck, “I think we’re done, but only if you’re calm.” She flinched away from his hand at her collar, pressing herself closer to Dean, and glaring at his brother. Sam sighed, “Alright, Izzy. You can keep it on because you were so good, but we’re done with the scene.”

 

Isabel sighed in satisfaction, “I want a bath.”

 

“Let’s go.” Dean chuckled, that was the Isabel he was used to seeing, the argumentative clumsy one who apparently was handy with an angel blade. Dean scooped her up, delighting in the giggle she let out, throwing her arms around his neck and burying her face against him. Sam had sat back on his heels, and was pouting in their direction.

 

Dean felt Isabel shift, “You too, Sam.”

 

Sam’s puppy-dog smile made Dean feel better. When Sam had been spanking Isabel, he’d seen something in his brother’s face he hadn’t seen since Lucifer had been in his brother’s body. For a minute, he’d been terrified.

 

With his brother’s massive size, the tiny tub was going to be a close fit, but he didn’t really mind, and Isabel seemed thrilled. And Dean definitely couldn’t complain when she started kissing him as soon as all his clothes were off, her intentions obvious. “Do you know how hot you are when you come?” Isabel asked between kisses.

 

Dean moaned, “Do you know how sexy you are?”

 

She grinned, “I might have an idea.” He couldn’t resist her any longer, and Sam had given up his control over her, so Dean put his hands on the globes of her ass and pulled her up. Isabel winced a little at his grip, but once her ankles were locked around his waist and his hands moved to her hips, she was better. He had his cock in her tight heat seconds after, rocking her hips slowly against him, making them both shiver.

 

Sam rolled his eyes, “You two want to get in the tub? The water’s warm now.”

 

Dean just walked with her to the tub, his thighs straining as he lowered them both into the water. Isabel braced her left hand for impact and put her right on the back of Dean’s head as, in the last inches, he slipped. Dean ended up with a sore ass, but it was worth it when Isabel nearly smothered him with her breasts, laughing at him, her hand locked in his short hair.

 

Sam was laughing too as he slid in opposite Dean, his legs framing his brother’s body. Isabel moved up and down over Dean’s cock, making some of the most obscene noises he’d ever heard. Watching the muscles in her back work was all it took for Sam to get hard again. He sat forward a little, running the flat of his tongue up her spine and wishing he could be in his brother's place.

 

Isabel seemed to sense it, looking back over her shoulder at him, groaning out his name, “Sam...I need you.”

 

He raised an eyebrow at her, his hand stilling on his dick, “You sure?” Her sex-glazed glare was all he needed to see as encouragement, maneuvering himself so that he was almost spooned behind her. They’d fooled around with anal sex a few times before, but never with anything even close to the size of Dean’s cock in her pussy, so Sam wasn’t going to just take her like an animal.

 

He worked her open slowly, working his long fingers into her and peppering kisses on her shoulder blades as Dean slowed down to an agonizingly slow pace in order to stave off their releases. Sam put an arm between Isabel and Dean, tilting her hips a little bit more to make it easier on her. Isabel liked pain as much as the next submissive, but she wasn’t a masochist, and they weren’t in a scene. Sam wasn’t about to allow himself to hurt her.

 

He needed to prove to Dean that his relationship with Isabel wasn’t about pain.

 

Isabel put her hand over his, linking their fingers and pressing his palm into the soft flesh of her stomach. “I’m ready, please, Sam.” She growled in frustration, sounding close to tears.

 

Sam obeyed, slowly easing his large girth into her. His hips jerked forward unwittingly when he felt Dean through Isabel’s walls, causing her to whine in surprise and a bit of pain. Sam cursed and went to pull out, but Isabel wouldn’t have it. She dug her fingernails into the back of his hand. “You...pull out now, and I...won’t even look at you for a week.” She turned her head to the side to look at him. “Go, Sam. I’m okay.”

 

He kissed her, sheathing himself in her fully and reveled in her shudder of pleasure. Dean moaned, his hands tight on her hips, “So...tight. Damn.” Dean gave an experimental thrust and all three cursed, Isabel throwing her head back to rest on Sam’s shoulder as she panted with the overwhelming sensations.

 

While they moved in her, Sam rubbed her clit to keep the pleasure she was feeling from being overwhelmed by the pain, and Dean spent a significant amount of time sucking on her nipples. The odd thought passed through Sam's addled brain telling him to remember to show Dean the nipple clamps he and Isabel were so fond of.

 

Isabel was first to come, going completely rigid an instant before she trembled in pleasure rather than fear. Dean shuddered his release inside of her once her internal muscles started spasming, and Sam last, biting the side of Isabel’s neck when her crafty little hand snuck down to fondle his balls, rubbing the soft skin gently. Sam stayed inside of her as he came, licking languidly at the red marks he’d left on her neck, not noticing the blood that oozed from her skin.

 

Dean pulled out of her first, grabbing a wash cloth from the side of the tub and wiping her up as best he could with his brother still buried inside of her. When Sam finally pulled out, Isabel whined and fell forward against Dean like a puppet whose strings had been cut, “Woah, baby girl, I’ve got you.” Dean wiped a stubborn spot of blood off her cheek, trying to ignore the sly, satisfied grin she was giving him.

 

After a few minutes, Sam stood up, water dripping down his muscled body. He had a soft smile on his face, bending to brush Isabel’s hair out of her eyes, “Want to get out?”

 

Isabel nuzzled Dean’s chest, “I’m cold.”

 

The Winchester’s laughed, and Dean put his arms around her, squeezing as he joked, “That’s cause the motel water heater’s not good enough to handle us.”

 

Isabel cursed under her breath and stood slowly on shaky legs, bowed out ever so slightly like Dean’s, letting Sam wrap her in a towel before scooping her up. She was asleep before he got her into bed, tucking her thin body into the covers. Sam glanced back at Dean warily.

 

Dean wasn’t looking at him though, his eyes were solely focused on Isabel, “We’re lucky bastards, aren’t we?” Dean said softly, sauntering to stand next to Sam.

 

“We aren’t going to talk about what just happened?” Sam said speculatively.

 

Dean plastered on a fake grin, “No, no we aren’t. All for her, Sammy.”

 

Sam nodded, “Right.”

 

A few hours after being awoken to Sam pushing himself into her while Dean kept on sleeping, Isabel woke up for the day slowly, curled blissfully between the two Winchester’s. She ached, but didn’t really hurt. The adrenaline had worn off, and she thought over the night before with new eyes. She’d lost control. Vaguely, she wondered how freaked out Dean must have been. Her intentions had always been to ease him into the lifestyle she and Sam shared, and to let him choose what his roll in it was going to be. She’d taken that opportunity away from him. Because she was too weak to handle herself.

 

She heard her phone ring, and pulled herself out of bed, gently pushing Dean’s grabby hands off her, “Hello?” She whispered into the phone, having moved into the bathroom to let the boys sleep longer.

 

“Isabel, precious, where are you?” Her mother’s voice said urgently.

 

“New Orleans, why? What’s wrong?” Isabel said, rubbing sleep from her eyes.

 

Veronica made a garbled noise of stress, “It’s my sister, she got out.”

 

“You have a sister?”

 

“Yes, Isabel, focus!” Veronica snapped. “She’s been locked in Purgatory since we were teenagers, but someone let her out.”

 

“I didn’t know you had a sister.” Isabel said, looking at herself in the mirror. The boys would both be pissed if they saw how her body looked in the morning light. She was covered in handprint bruises, bites, and hickeys, all in the midst of healing.

 

“Isabel, that is so not the point.” Veronica whined, “Eve is what most would call my evil twin. She’s completely insane and insanely powerful.”

 

“Don’t see how that makes you two any different.” Isabel muttered, rustling through her bag for clothes that would cover the majority of the marks until they faded away completely in a few hours. She'd take a shower, but poor Ion needed to go outside first.

 

Veronica hissed like a cat, “Not the time for snide remarks, Isabel. She calls herself the Mother of All, and, partly, she is. Eve is the Mother of All Monsters, and now she’s loose on Earth again. You and the boys have to stop her.”

 

“Why can’t you? We’re busy.” Isabel said, staring at her neck in the mirror where a perfect impression of Sam's teeth rested, the skin angry and red, some parts still bleeding. She looked like an extra from the beginning of a zombie movie.

 

“I don’t care that you three are humping like rabbits, I really don’t, but that’s no reason for you to be rude.” Veronica said, voice sharp, “I’m busy with other things.”

 

“So you’re terrified about this lady, but you’re just going to send us after her?” Isabel tried to reason, pulling on black yoga pants because they were the only way she’d be comfortable enough to not walk around bow legged like Dean all day.

 

“Oh, you three are smart, you’ll be fine. Trust me, you’d rather I kept my paws out of it. Eve’s really quite maternal, but she down right hates me.” Veronica explained.

 

Isabel sighed into the phone, “Okay, where do we start?”

 

“Sandusky, Ohio. But please, be careful. You’ll probably piss her off.” Veronica warned.

 

“Great, the aunt I never knew about is going to hate me. You know what, I’m getting real tired of all this fucked up family shit. Thanksgiving is going to be great this year, isn’t it?” Isabel joked sarcastically, but heard her mother’s side of the line click off. “Fine, witch.”

 

“Who was that?” Sam asked from the doorway of the bathroom.

 

Isabel ruffled her hair, making it fall over the bite wound on the side of her neck, “My mother, she’s got a hunt for us.”

 

“Oh really?” Sam chuckled.

 

Isabel nodded, “Yeah, my aunt, Eve, the Mother of All Monsters, or something like that.”

 

Sam furrowed his eyebrows, “Eve, like Bible Eve?”

 

She shrugged, “Don’t think so. My mom way predates humans, and she said they’re twins.”

 

“Sounds like it’s right up our alley. Did she give a hint as to where we’ll find this Eve?” He asked, putting boxers on and drawing a pair of jeans up his long legs.

 

“Sandusky, Ohio.” Isabel told him before leaving the room, grabbing Ion’s leash, and taking the dog outside.

 

Isabel sat on a beat up curb bumper and let Ion run, taking into account every ache and pain in her body. Her ass hurt from Sam’s spanking, but the pain dulled more and more with every beat of her heart. Her shoulders ached from having locked them in place so long to brace herself against the bathtub. Really, she needed a shower. Thanks to Sam's early morning wake up, she was sticky in places she didn’t really need to stay sticky in, and her neck was killing her.

 

Usually when Sam bit her it healed by morning, but something had changed. Her neck wasn’t healing any faster than usual, but the bruise she’d been watching on her arm was already gone. Isabel picked up a piece of glass off the ground from a long destroyed beer bottle, and pressed the sharp edge into the palm of her hand. Blood welled up, but by the time she’d tossed the bloodied glass away, the skin was pink and whole. “Weird.” Isabel buried her face in her hands. Ion nudged his nose against her hands, and she put her arms around his neck, “Hey, buddy.”

 

He pulled away and lay down across her feet with a petulant whine, and Isabel sensed Dean coming up behind her before he said a word, “Baby girl, Sammy says we’re on the hunt again?”

 

She nodded slowly, “Yeah, my mom called and rambled some shit, wants us to research.” Isabel flashed him a bright smile she didn’t feel and held her hand out to him, “Let’s hit it.”

 

Dean pulled her to her feet, and Ion scrambled to his, shooting the older Winchester a nasty glare. Dean watched Isabel walk a few steps, “You okay?”

 

She gave him a genuine smile, and kissed him, “I’m fine. Promise, a shower and I’ll be good to go.”

 

Isabel started to walk back to the motel room, but Dean grabbed her by the elbow, “Wait. I-” He trailed off, and looked away from her questioning gaze. “I hope I didn’t hurt you last night.”

 

Isabel shrugged, “You didn’t, Dean. Not in anyway I didn’t need or fully enjoy. Trust me.” She wriggled her eyebrows at him, “Maybe next time we put a non-slip mat in the bottom of the tub though.”

 

Dean chuckled, rubbing the back of his head as she tucked herself under his arm. “Yeah, my ass hurts.”

 

Isabel giggled, kissing him again, “Not as much as mine, I’m sure.”

 

“You are probably right!” He said, laughing as they walked to the doorway leaning on each other. Isabel pulled away to catch the leash Ion was dragging behind him and Dean went totally still. The instant she heard his angry intake of breath she knew what he was going to say, knew what he’d seen, “Isabel, what the hell is that?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well…hope I didn't just scare a bunch of people away! Next chapter is already half written! As always, comments and suggestions are more than welcome!
> 
> -Jenn


	16. The Shake (Awful Feeling)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean, Isabel, and Sam figure out that biting feeling!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! I've been busy getting back into the swing of things at school and planning the future of this story! After this chapter, there will be three more in this story arc! Then I've got the second arc outlined already, which will be called Hopeless, figure what you will from that!

**The Shake (Awful Feeling):**

"Fuck!" She yelped, jerking away from him, "It's nothing."

Dean pawed at her, holding her still so he could look, "That's not nothing, Isabel. You're bleeding!" Dean stared at the wound, the skin cut into two arches. A bite. Not a vampire bite, he'd checked her neck the night before. It had happened since they'd gotten back to the motel. He hadn't done it, but that didn't mean that Sam hadn't, "Did he bite you?"

"Oh, relax!" Isabel whined, pulling her hair back over the bite on her neck, but her refusal to answer was all Dean needed to hear to know that Sam had bitten her hard enough to leave her neck raw and open possibly hours later.

"What's going on? Sam asked, coming out of the bathroom, towel slung low over his hips, he must have changed his mind about leaving the motel without taking a shower.

"Nothing!" Isabel yelled at him, glaring at Dean.

Dean grabbed her, pulling her hair off her neck, "This, Sam. Damnit! Did you try to chew through her neck?"

Isabel jerked away, "Dean, stop it! I'm fine! Not the first time!"

"I did that?" Sam said, voice higher than usual.

"You don't remember biting Isabel that hard?" Dean asked, aghast at them both.

Sam swayed a little, "I thought it was just a dream." He pulled in a sharp breath, "I thought they were all just dreams...nightmares."

Isabel grabbed his face, making him look at her, "Sam, you've been biting me since before we slept in the same bed together. For a while, I thought they were dreams too because there was never a mark there in the morning, but now, I know that's because of how quickly I heal."

Sam touched the wound on her neck, horrified at himself, "You aren't healing now."

"I am, just not my neck. I already checked. Sam, I am fine." She felt her face flush, "I don't mind. It doesn't hurt that bad."

"No, Isabel, you don't understand." Dean half growled, putting himself between them.

She looked at the expression on Sam's face, and dropped her defensiveness. She was obviously not on the same page that the brothers were. Usually she wasn't ever far enough behind them that she got totally lost, but now she was. Isabel sat back on the bed they'd been sharing just hours before. "Oh, come on. What? What am I missing?" The brothers started explaining everything then, and eventually Isabel just threw her hands up, "Okay, okay. I've got it. So Sam's got a major blood kink that's not really a kink, but an addiction. Just one problem. You said that he was addicted to demon blood. Last I checked, I was half angel, not demon."

Dean spluttered, but Sam responded, voice hollow, "Demons were created by Lucifer, your half brother, using his blood, so, technically, their blood is angel blood." He looked up at her, anguished, "I'm so sorry Isabel. I would never intentionally hurt you."

Isabel got closer to him despite Dean's uneasy expression, "No biggie. What I want to know is why. Why do you want my blood if Dean and Bobby supposedly detoxed you?"

"I don't know." Sam whispered when Isabel caught his eyes with hers.

"If demon blood made you stronger, mine certainly hasn't. Between the three of us I'm probably the one who could bench press the most at this point." Isabel said, studying his face for any sign that he wanted to bite her while she brushed some of his long hair out of his eyes, her wrist just inches from his mouth. "What are you dreaming about just before you bite me?"

"I don't know. If biting you hasn't been a dream, then I haven't really remembered any dreams since I woke up from Hell." Sam answered slowly, realizing the oddity for the first time. "That's not normal." He pulled away from Isabel, sitting down in the chair on the other side of the room.

Dean cursed, "Knew it was too fucking simple." He grabbed his jacket, "You two, stay here, and don't let him bite you again, Isabel. Tie him up if you have to, I'll be back." He wavered in the doorway, glancing down at Ion, "And you, he goes anywhere near her, bite him."

Ion stood and lumbered over to Isabel's side, glaring at Sam. Isabel gawked at her dog as Dean closed the door behind him, "Seriously, bud? Who knew you could get him to actually like you."

Six hours later, Isabel had made Sam move the chair so they could both see the TV, and the female was laying sprawled on her back on the bed, Ion's heavy head resting on her stomach. The dog had whined and nudged until he had gotten into, apparently, just the right spot, practically pinning her to the bed. She had to pee though, and forced the animal's head off of her, shutting the bathroom door in his face when he tried to nose in after her. "Knock it off!"

Ion whined in response, until she exited the bathroom.

"Jeez, relax, you big lug." She groaned, evading Ion when he tried to herd her back to the bed. "Hey, Sam?" She called, looking around for her keys.

"What, Isabel?" He asked, pulling his eyes away from the TV screen.

"I think I'm gonna go get food." She told him, shoving Ion's paws off her hip and grabbing her keys. "What do you want?"

"Not hungry." He responded.

Isabel shrugged, "Suit yourself. Gonna text Dean again too."

Sam's eyes were dark, "You really don't need to do that."

"Text Dean?" Isabel asked, frowning at him.

Sam nodded, "He'll be fine on his own."

That didn't sound like the Sam she knew at all. He would do anything for his brother, regardless of the cost to himself. She forced a pleasant smile, finally putting her knee up to keep Ion away as she shrugged through the door, hopping awkwardly in the doorway, "Okay, well I'll just go get food."

Sam yelled after her as she left, "Don't you dare contact him again!"

Naturally, she called Dean as soon as she got to the diner down the street, only to find him in the pizza place across the street with an old man she vaguely recognized but couldn't place. "Isabel!" Dean exclaimed when he saw her, standing and grabbing her from the doorway.

Isabel studied his face, "Dean, are you okay?"

He winced, holding her hand, "Long day." He gestured to the old man, "Uh...this is Death."

"Death?" Isabel echoed, totally confused.

"Yeah, Death, capital D. King of the Reapers, literal death." Dean rambled, guiding her to the chair he'd left.

"Um... I'm Isabel." She said, holding a hand out to him politely.

The old man looked her over, not taking her hand."Isabel Sophia Hastings, yes, I remember you. I came to reap you once, but your angel brother saved your life." He sniffed delicately, still ignoring her proffered hand. "Curious."

"What?" Isabel asked, more than a little worried by the look he was giving her, letting her hand fall to her lap.

"The angel Daniel missed a Hellhound. It was meant to be the face of your death, but just before you opened the door, he burst from his hiding place and slayed the beast." Death smiled slightly, and it was just enough for Isabel to know that she never wanted to see him truly smile.

"I was supposed to die?"

Death nodded, "I like to Reap nephilim myself. You are such an interesting breed."

"Um...thank you?" Isabel said awkwardly, glancing at Dean for help.

"The mixing of species has always been of interest to me. An odd past time considering my primary occupation, but you are interesting to study." Death muttered.

"Me, or my breed?" Isabel asked, scared to know the answer.

Death stared at her, a malicious smile on his face, the one Isabel had hoped to never see, "Both, little nephilim. You are an outstanding specimen of an interesting breed. Of course any creature who mingles with Winchesters is going to be outstanding. You are certainly no exception."

Fear rippled through Isabel, every instinct telling her to run. She forced herself to remain calm, looking to Dean, and asking pleasantly, "What have you two been talking about all this time?"

"He told me what's wrong with Sam." Dean told her. "Whoever pulled him from Hell didn't bring all of him. A part of his soul got left behind. Death is going to fix him."

Dean's face was so incredibly hopeful, but Isabel was wary, "So my blood was..."

"Keeping his soul from further deterioration and an eventual catastrophic implosion, yes little nephilim. Your healing properties were merely a bandaid though. Touch was enough at first, but once he got a taste for your blood he needed more and more to keep himself sane." Death gave her an odd smile, one that was somehow worse than the malicious one from before, "Things have changed, however. In a few hours your blood would no longer serve that purpose. It is a good thing you figured it out before he killed the both of you for getting in his way."

They went back to the motel, Isabel highly unsettled and clinging to Dean, who looked exhausted and refused to talk about it. "Holy shit." Dean exclaimed when the door opened.

Sam was sitting on the edge of the bed, and Ion was glaring at the door, his jaws locked onto Sam's upper thigh, blood pooled under them. Sam looked pissed though, not in pain. "Would you two get this thing off of me?"

From the looks of things, Sam had tried to follow Isabel, and Ion had done his best to stop him. Isabel spied a crunched up hunk of metal and a circle of red on Ion's fur, "Sam! Did you shoot my dog?" She didn't wait for a response, instead clicking her tongue at Ion to come to her, "Oh, my poor buddy. Did he hurt you? Oh, Momma's sorry." Ion buried his muzzle into her stomach when she sunk to her knees to hold him. Isabel kissed the top of his head, "Such a good boy."

Death regarded the giant dog fondly before approaching Sam, who was struggling against invisible bonds on the bed, "It is always nice to see a creature so devoted to it's mistress." He held the fragment of Sam's soul out, looking between the three of them, "I'll warn you, do not scratch at the wall surrounding your memories of Hell. You tried to leave them behind for a reason. Your little nephilim won't be able to save you from them."

Death pushed the rest of Sam's soul into his body, and he screamed in agony. Isabel pushed Ion aside to grab onto Sam, earning a small nod from Death.

Ring in hand, Death vanished, leaving Isabel to hold Sam close to her, running her fingers through his hair, "Hush, I've got you, Sam. You're okay. It's over." Dean sat next to her, and just put a hand on Sam's shoulder, knowing that would say more than any words he could say. Sam had been bitten all over, and, it appeared, at one point Ion had tripped him up and he'd opened his forearm up on the table next to the door. Isabel held his injured arm up as Sam whimpered in his unconscious state. She slid her left forefinger along the wound, and Dean watched, captivated, as the skin sealed shut.

"Wow." He said, sarcastically wondering where the hell she'd been all the times he'd gotten shot and sliced up.

Isabel smiled at him, but her eyebrows were creased in worry, just like his were, "Yeah, I may be healing weirdly right now, but at least I can heal everyone else just fine."

"He'll be okay." Dean said offhandedly. Honestly, he'd seen Sammy dead, so as long as the kid was breathing, he was gonna be okay. "How's your neck?"

Isabel shrugged, "Just fine. Couldn't tell anything had even happened after the third episode of Law & Order." She took his hand and kissed the back of it. "I'm really exhausted. Did you eat anything?"

"Uh, yeah, Death likes pizza. Want me to call something in?" He asked. They didn't usually call from their room for food, but Isabel looked as exhausted as he felt and he wasn't about to leave the two alone again until Sam had woken up and he'd tested him out.

She nodded, stretching out on the bed beside Sam as she whispered, "Yeah, thanks Dean." She curled into Sam's chest, and his pained expression eased a bit, "He's gonna be okay, right?"

Dean hesitated, halfway to picking up the room phone from where it had slid off the desk, "I honestly don't know, baby girl." He ordered a sandwich from the place Isabel had taken a liking to since they'd come to town, but when it arrived, she was fast asleep, curled protectively around Sam, her angel blade clutched in her fist, resting across Sam's chest.

He almost laughed. It was so odd, tiny blonde Isabel wrapped around Sam's huge body, like she would be able to protect him better than he could protect himself. Dean knew she was strong, and had shown reasonable fighting skill, but she was just too undisciplined. The vampire that had pinned her down could have killed her if they hadn't been able to get to her soon enough. Even with the drama about Sam's soul, they couldn't put off training her anymore.

He woke her up at dawn, dodging a sleepy swing of her blade and glaring, "Come on, get up."

Dean trained her for hours, only letting her have a break so they could go check on a still sleeping Sam. Isabel combed her fingers through Sam's hair, sweat dripping from her own hair onto Sam's face, "Dean, I need to stop."

"We can't. You've got to learn." Dean snapped.

Isabel glared up at him, "I have, Dean. I've learned this all before, I just have to remember. I'll be fine."

Dean practically growled at her, "Shit, Isabel, you can't just wing it. You were almost a midnight snack for that vamp the other night. And then Sammy..."

She cut him off, "I can protect myself. I know I can."

Dean frowned heavily, cupping her face in his hands, "Baby girl, you're not invincible. I'll worry as much as I want, and the only thing that will make me feel better is knowing that if Sam and I aren't around, you can get away from a bad situation unharmed. What's the first thing you do when someone is headed to attack you?"

Defeat found Isabel, and she said, rolling her eyes, "I run. As fast as I can the other direction."

"And if you can't outrun them?"

"I stab them with my angel blade or the nearest metal object."

He growled again, "Not funny, you need to work on getting that thing to come when you call."

"It doesn't work like that for me, Dean!" Isabel said for the hundredth time since dawn, "The blade just shows up when I need it."

"And that doesn't work!" Dean yelled at her.

Sam's voice echoed from the door, "Hey, guys, Bobby's been calling."

"Sam!" Isabel shrieked, flinging her arms around him, sending the large man stumbling a few steps back. She kissed his cheeks, looking him in the eyes as best she could while clinging to him, "How are you feeling?"

A smile ghosted over his face, and he pecked her lips with a closed mouth kiss, "Better, Izzy." He looked her over just as critically as she'd done to him, "Did I hurt you?"

"You shot my dog." Isabel answered instantly, raising her eyebrows, daring him to challenge her. He gave her a weak smile, but she took it, holding him tight, "No more leaving parts of your soul behind, okay? You get very cranky."

He laughed in spite of himself, "I'll try not to."

Dean watched from across the room as Isabel fit herself against Sam, head against his chest, arms wrapped around his waist, "You'd better."

Dean sighed, "Glad you're better, Sammy." The brother's exchanged appreciative smiles before Dean asked, "What's Bobby need?"

"Wants us to join him on the road to Sandusky, Ohio, says there's a trail of monsters heading right to there." Sam said roughly, relishing in the steady calming presence of Isabel, and feeling relieved that Dean didn't seem to be glaring at him.

"Must be my aunt. What kind of monsters?" Isabel asked, tipping her head up, her chin digging into his chest.

"Uh, a bit of everything." Sam said, pulling them inside the motel room, trying to ignore the blood streaked around the room. He showed the other two the pictures Bobby had managed to email to them and that he'd looked at to spend more time hiding inside.

"Fucking hell, that's nasty shit." Dean hissed, pulling away from the computer screen to put his stuff in his duffle, "Let's go, gang, before Bobby gets himself ganked."

"Gang?" Isabel repeated, smiling wildly at Sam. He smiled back at her instantly, chuckling. Isabel tucked some of his hair behind his ear, "Come on, Shaggy, you heard him." She hopped away from them both, towards the bathroom, swaying slightly once the door had shut behind her, a wave of dizziness coming over her and vanishing just as quickly as it had come. She shook it off, packing neatly, Ion hovering close beside until the four of them were tucked back into the Impala and on the road again.

* * *

_"You say a mind is a terrible thing to waste_   
_What good is mine if I'm locked up in a cage?_   
_I was hoping you could help me out of here_   
_So I could finally disappear_

_I'll throw my thoughts into the sea_   
_Where no one will ever find_

_I can't seem to shake this awful feeling_   
_You wore, you wore, you wore me out_   
_And I can't seem to_   
_I can't seem to shake this awful feeling_   
_You wore, you wore, you wore me out_   
_And I can't believe_

_And no I can't seem to shake_   
_This awful feeling_

_So I'll throw my thoughts into the sea_   
_Where no one will ever find_   
_And your marvelous episodes of pain_   
_Will very soon be mine"_

**The Shake (Awful Feeling)  
** By: My American Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and Kudos welcome! Any guesses at what's going to happen are as well! Thanks for reading!
> 
> Up next: The Kahn Worm!
> 
> -Jenn


	17. We're All Mad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A whole lot more prompt with this update! Hope you guys are excited! Lots of dialogue from Season 6, Episode 16 "And Then There Were None". But, if you look close, there's clues to the next part of my plot in this chapter, so sleuth away! Also, I've added another chapter to this section of the story, so we'll round it out with chapter 20!
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: I claim none of the lines taken from 6.16!

**We're All Mad:**

Bobby eyed the four of them critically, “Well, you’ve all still got your limbs attached.”

 

Dean smiled tightly, “All souls attached now too, right, Sammy?”

 

Sam grimaced, and Isabel pat him on the shoulder before embracing Bobby, “We’re fine, promise.”

 

Bobby made a face, standing awkwardly in her grasp, “Damn, girl, what’s this for?”

 

“Well, you looked like you could use a hug, and the boys aren’t going to give you one, so I figured I’d take one for the team and come on in.” She said, smiling broadly as she stepped back in between the brothers.

 

Bobby huffed, but both boys could tell that the older hunter was blushing under his beard. “Come on in, you three look like you could use beers.”

 

Once inside he went through the usual screening process, going so far as to put Ion through the same paces, before handing all three of them beers. Dean opened Isabel’s, passing it back to her. They’d learned the hard way that she couldn’t open beer bottles without crushing them. She was working on that, but none of them wanted to be cleaning up beer when they should be talking about the newest big bad.

 

“This bitch is your aunt?” Bobby gasped.

 

Isabel nodded, taking the first sip of her beer to avoid elaborating. She started gagging instantly, “Ugh, how long has this been in your fridge? I think it’s gone bad.”

 

Sam took the beer from her and took a swig, frowning, “Tastes fine to me.”

 

Dean chuckled, “Bobby would never let a beer go bad on his watch.”

 

“You check your mouth, boy.” Bobby growled, but looked, concerned, in Isabel’s direction. “You feeling alright, girl?”

 

“Yeah, I’m fine.” She said, shaking her head at Sam when he tried to give her her beer back, and stifling a yawn, “Think maybe I just need some sleep. There a place I can crash while you boys talk?”

 

“Bedroom on the left down the hall, just toss the papers and crap on the floor. Sheets are clean.” Bobby told her, smiling when she pat him fondly on the shoulder as she walked away, Ion trailing behind her. “Keep that damned thing off the bed!” He yelled after her, getting a wave of acknowledgement back.

 

Dean sighed, “Dude, that dog. It’s like her fucking shadow. Keeping it off the bed is a nightlong struggle.”

 

Sam chuckled, “Ion’s not that bad, Dean. Oh, and Bobby, she’ll have to sort your papers before she’ll let herself stack them somewhere else. Teacher thing, she can’t help herself. Back of the Impala is freaky organized now.”

 

“Like Sammy on steroids.” Dean commented, taking Isabel’s beer from Sam and taking his own swig, “This is a good beer. What’s her problem?”

 

Sam shrugged, “Who knows. She usually makes it her goal to try to keep up with me.”

 

Bobby huffed, “Like that little thing could keep up with you.”

 

“I said try. Three beers and she’s usually passed out.” Sam clarified, flipping through one of the old books Bobby had collected, “Hey, I’m gonna give her aunt a call, see if she’s got anything on Eve.”

 

“What’s this aunt do, shoot rainbows out her ass? Seemed like a nice broad, but how’s she gonna help?” Bobby joked darkly.

 

Sam glared, “No, Alice is a psychic from a long line of Hunters.” He dialed the library phone number, listening to it ring before Alice finally picked up, “Hey, Alice.”

 

“That niece of mine better be in one piece still, or I’ll skin both you boys.” Alice snapped in greeting.

 

Sam winced, “Hello to you too. Isabel’s fine, I just had a question about something I thought you’d be able to answer.”

 

“I don’t, but Mr. Singer does.” She answered ideally, and Sam could hear her flipping through the book she seemed to keep half her brain in.

 

“Um...okay. We’ve been looking all over this place. Any clue where it’d be?” Sam asked, standing up and looking around, ready to rifle through whatever pile she indicated.

 

“Not you, Sammy. Let me speak to Mr. Singer.” Alice said fondly.

 

Sam held the phone to Bobby, “She wants to talk to you.”

 

“Balls.” Bobby cursed, brushing crumbs off his beard. He took the phone, giving Sam a withering look, “Go.” Dean and Sam watched with rapt attention as Bobby’s face turned several shades of pink before he finally muttered, “Yes, M’am. I’ll be there.”, and flipped the phone closed, throwing it back at Sam and heading to the kitchen, “Book’s in here, let’s go figure out how to gank this bitch.”

 

Dean laughed, “Jeez, Bobby, what’d the old lady promise you?” Bobby didn’t respond but his face turned bright red, and both brothers gagged, “Ugh, that’s nasty.”

 

“Says the two of you. Don’t get me started on what I think about the little triad you three have got going. Miss. Alice and I are just meetin’ for lunch once this crap is all over.” Bobby growled, stooping to tug at a book under the front corner of the china cabinet.

 

“Hold on.” Sam brusquely said, getting on his knees and pushing some of the cabinet’s weight off the book in question. Bobby retrieved the book and Sam grabbed one from a nearby pile to hold the spot before standing, “I’m gonna go check on Izzy.”

 

Dean waved their Dad’s journal, “We’ll be reading! My favorite!”

 

Bobby hummed as he read, and Sam never came back. A few hours later Dean drifted into the bedroom and found Isabel and Sam fast asleep, the lingering smell of sex in the air and Ion sulking in the hallway. Dean shook his head with a smile on his face and went back to Bobby, “Time to hit the hay, Bobby. Let’s go talk to that guy that bashed his family’s heads in in the morning.”

 

They started driving to Sandusky, Ohio just after sunrise.

 

When the possibly possessed man, Rick dissolved into tears, Isabel, who was dressed in a pressed woman’s suit neither brother knew she’d packed, felt the need to hold the man as he cried.

 

Bobby muttered about her being a bleeding heart, but recoiled at the video of the man’s interaction with some creature at the gas station, “I’ve never seen that in my life. All those vamps and ghouls out on I-80? Maybe they're coming in for Mother's Day.”

 

Dean stood nervously, glancing at Isabel, “Um, Okay, well, if that _is_ Big Mama, Eve or whatever, we got zero on ganking her. So what are we gonna do if we run into her? Throw salt and hope? Have Isabel poke her with an angel blade?”

 

Bobby scowled, “No, we’re gonna turn tail and run, because we’re in over our heads.”

 

Dean wasn’t sold on the idea, “I mean, we better get some real info on this bitch before we do run into her.”

 

They were cut off by the locals stirring about trouble down at the Cannery. Bobby headed out the door only for Isabel to follow a few steps behind, “Damnit, girl, I can be by myself.”

 

She smiled weakly, “I know, but honestly, I couldn’t handle being around Rick anymore. Shouldn’t have touched him. So sad.”

 

He shook his head, “Well, stay close and follow my lead.” At the Cannery, he flashed a badge, “FBI. Willis and Matthews. How many in there?”

 

The officer looked ill, “Six dead.”

 

“What happened?” Bobby asked, grabbing Isabel by the hand before she could touch one of the injured.

 

The officer shrugged, “Apparently, a guy walks in, pulls a hunting rifle, just opens fire. Captain! These are agents...”

 

The captain was pissed, “What? There a fed convention in town or something?”

 

“Excuse me?” Isabel hissed, the teacher in him detesting his tone.

 

An African-American man approached from behind the captain, “Agent Willis? Am I right?” He looked quizzically at Isabel, but held a hand out to Bobby.

 

“Agent.” Bobby acknowledged hesitantly. “We weren’t expecting you...yet.”

 

The man mad a slight face, “Oh, well, apparently, you didn’t get the call. Gentlemen, can you excuse us?”

 

Isabel followed next to Bobby like a child, feeling unusually lost in the situation, “What in the high holy are you doing here, Rufus?”

 

“Same as you- tracking 31 flavors of crazy, which led us both smack into the middle of this. Who’s the girl?” Rufus asked sharply.

 

Isabel bristled, “I’m the girl that’s got Bobby’s back.”

 

Rufus shot her a disapproving look, “Not much help, Bobby.”

 

“Girl packs more of a punch than she looks like she would. Sam and Dean are with us too.” Bobby said, feeling more than a little defensive.

 

“So are we partnering on this or not? Jailbait here might be good monster food, but she can’t be that great on a hunt. We’re here, let’s do this. Just like old times.” Rufus urged, and only Bobby’s hand on her arm kept Isabel from lunging at the man.

 

Bobby agreed, and the three of them ended up in the morgue, “Isabel, you stay over there, and don’t touch anything.”

 

Rufus rolled his eye, “Girl, can’t be squeamish.”

 

“That’s not what I’m worried about.” Bobby told him before Isabel could unclench her jaw to respond. Truth be told, the smell was making her sick, but Bobby had his own reasons, “Girl’s half angel, don’t really want one of these stiffs getting too lively.”

 

Rufus looked Isabel over again before humming, “So, do you think the mother of whatever the hell is wrapped up in this, Bobby?”

 

Isabel did her best to not let her uneasy stomach get the best of her as they swabbed and postulated over the body, resulting in the five of them ending back up at the Cannery.

 

“Look what the cat dragged in!” Dean directed jovially to Rufus when they arrived, and Isabel quickly tucked herself against Sam, ready to be far away from the misogynistic man.

 

“It really is good to see you, Rufus.” Sam said, squeezing Isabel’s shoulders.

 

“I can believe it. It must get old dealing with this miserable cuss here all by yourself.” Rufus ribbed Bobby good-naturedly. The ribbing went on for a few more minutes before they headed inside. Rufus sneered at Isabel, “You just gonna hide behind Sam or are you gonna make yourself useful?”

 

Isabel lunged at him, but Dean caught her around the waist, “Woah, Baby Girl, relax, he’s just teasing.”

 

Shrugging Dean off, she materialized her blade in her hand and stalked after Sam and Bobby, “I’m not some half-witted whore you can trash talk, old man.”

 

Rufus chuckled to Dean, “I like her.”

 

They came upon Gwen Campbell in the higher levels of the Cannery. The shit hit the fan a second later, and Sam and Dean were squabbling in front of an older bald man, Isabel positioned in front of Bobby and Rufus unsure of why that awful burning wasn’t racing through her even though they were fighting.

 

“I take it you know each other.” Rufus drawled from behind her. 

 

“He's our grandfather.” Dean growled.

 

Rufus chuckled, “Oh- somebody needs a hug.”

 

The boys went at each other a few seconds longer before Bobby barked at Sam to take Dean on a walk. “Watch her.” Sam instructed as he pushed Dean out of the room, bobbing his head at Isabel.

 

Bobby nodded, and once they were gone, he stood in front of her, “So, you're Samuel.”

 

The bald man was cocky, “You must be the guy pretending to be their father.”

 

“Well, somebody ought to.” Bobby popped back as Sam returned, trailing a hand over Isabel’s shoulder as he passed.

 

Isabel had to laugh when Samuel started talking about a creature from Purgatory, “You’re wrong. Eve’s not from Purgatory, she’s from Heaven.”

 

Samuel finally looked at her, “And how would you know that?”

 

“Because, she’s my Mother’s twin sister.” Isabel said shortly, mentally searching for Dean and tuning out most of the snappy conversation that followed and hardly noticing as Gwen left the room.

 

She did notice the gunshot, and the sudden wrongness filtering from the energy outside the room. “Dean!”

 

“Isabel!” Sam yelled after her, but she kept running, nearly stumbling over Gwen. Sam ran past her and Bobby and Rufus came to their knees beside her. “Bobby, see if you can plug that hole up.”

 

“Isabel?” Bobby asked, looking at the girl who had her hands over Gwen’s wound.

 

Her eyes were wide. “I-...”

 

Rufus growled, shoving her back, and both men started working on the dying woman. She was dead less than twenty seconds later. Sam came back to them, “I couldn’t find Dean.” He noticed Isabel, crouched to the side, blood on her hands, and went to her, “Hey, Izzy. What happened?”

 

Isabel was staring at the blood, but the light was still in her eyes, “I don’t know. I couldn’t heal her. I tried, but...nothing happened.”

 

Sam forced a comforting smile and hauled her to her feet, “Don’t worry about that now. We’ve got to find Dean. Whatever got into those guys must have got into him.” Isabel stayed with Sam and Bobby as they searched, wiping her hands as clean as she could on her jeans.

 

They came upon Dean, half hysterically waving his gun between Rufus and Samuel. Rufus tried to check his ear for the supposed ‘Kahn worm’, and he jumped away. Isabel glared at the man and approached Dean slowly. “Shush, Dean, just let me look, okay?” He eyed her every step of the way, but she sighed in relief, kissing his cheek, “We have goo.”

 

Dean started rubbing his ear, “Goo? What the hell does that mean?”

 

“That means it was in you, all right.” Rufus said, and then Bobby started to convince them all to give up their guns. Isabel put her angel blade into the bag too, more a show of good faith than anything since, if she needed it, the blade would be back in her hand.

 

The next hours drug by, Isabel passing the time by scratching Dean’s arm against a rusty table edge and trying to figure out why her healing power that had come so naturally before was almost non existent even if she concentrated. He was being an innumerably good sport, but she knew it was because he was trying to riddle out what had happened with Gwen. She wanted to hug him, but he wasn’t in the mood for that and it would set Rufus and Samuel off big time. They’d already pieced together the nature of her relationship with the boys and were silently judging them. All they needed was a reason to rip her apart, with or without any worm.

 

Naturally, Dean falling out of his well balanced chair and keeling over groaning gave them all the reason they needed to spring into action. “What the hell!” Bobby yelled, and Samuel had Isabel off her feet in an instant, arm around her throat.

 

“What did you do to him?” Samuel growled in her ear.

 

“Let her go!” Sam ordered, the fury in his eyes unlike anything she’d seen before. Wait, she had seen it before, in the brief moments before insanity had taken over after they’d pulled the vampire trying to kill her off her. That was the insanity both brothers shared, an insanity that bled from her to them. Her fear enraged them. Dean was fighting against the pain he was in, forcing himself to stand at his brother’s side.

 

Samuel was prepared to break her neck. Isabel was clinging to his arms, pulling them far enough away that she could breathe but wasn’t hurting him. “I’m not doing anything!” She gasped, and Dean swayed, falling against Sam, who looked between the two in panic, his brain trying to prioritize one over the other.

 

Isabel made the decision for him, gripping his arms firmly and throwing Samuel over her  head like Dean had taught her. The man landed on his back with a grunt, but Isabel was already at Dean’s side, “Hey, breathe, baby.” She ripped his shirt open, the fabric giving easily under her hands. “Sam.”

 

The younger Winchester was at her side before she’d even finished uttering his name, “Another tattoo?”

 

Isabel nodded, letting Dean curl around her, muffling his agonized groans on her hip. She tried to ease the pain, laying a hand over the forming words that were marching down the side of his torso, but this was much bigger than the last mysterious mark, and she couldn’t soothe it all like she had then. Isabel leaned over him, kissing his neck and whispering softly to him, carding her fingers through his short hair.

 

Sam sat on the concrete floor next to her, his body pressed against her side, eyeing the three older hunters like a wild animal, daring them to come any closer. He’d kill them if they did. He knew that beyond a doubt.

 

By the time the pain finally let Dean breathe, Isabel was crying, “I’m so sorry. I’m so so sorry. This is all my fault, if I wasn’t around, this wouldn’t happen. I’m so sorry!”

 

Dean kissed her, not caring anymore that Samuel and Rufus would see. “Hey, baby girl, it’s fine. I’m okay now, promise. Shit, don’t cry.”

 

She hiccuped a few times, looking perversely young as she stared down at him, big blue eyes swimming in tears, face tinged red, and her blonde hair hanging messily around her face. Then he noticed the grip Sam had on the back of her neck. That would explain the sudden urge to fuck her. She was out like a light, all rational thoughts out of her mind, her only focus on the two of them, not the other hunters, and not the worm that seemed bent on killing them all. Sam bent closer, his mouth next to her ear and whispered something so softly that even Dean couldn’t hear. She whined, breathing heavily at whatever he was saying, he said something else and then logical Isabel returned, shooting Sam a nasty look. “You better be willing to back that up, Shaggy.”

 

Sam grinned, kissing her quickly, “If we’re still alive after tonight, you’re on.”

 

A new expression passed over her face, an impish sort of glee. She softened a second later, cooing over Dean again, and reading the new Enochian etched into his skin, “Three trials, three hearts, three distances to part. Croatoan.”

 

Dean cursed, “I hate that damned word.” He fell silent, trying to regain his bearings and to push the awful thoughts out of his head, “What if the future he’d seen was still going to happen? What if they lost Isabel, and Sam said ‘Yes’ to Lucifer? Sam loved the damned girl more than air, and Dean wasn’t far behind. If she was gone, what would happen? It all still had time to happen, the virus to spread and him to lose the parts of him that made him him, and to turn into that man he could hardly recognize.

 

Isabel hauled him to his feet, again exerting effort that was far too much for her slight frame, as always, just a hint of how not human she was. He stared at her, once again amazed at how strong and fragile she was, she vacillated between the two so quickly it was hard for him to pin down in his heart. “You sure you’re okay?” She asked, noticing his stare.

 

Dean nodded, kissing her again, “Yeah. Just tired of riddles.”

 

“Aren’t we all?” Sam commented, frowning, when Samuel stood up, and getting right in front of him.

 

“Relax.” The old man hissed, “Bathroom break. So unless you want to hold it for me.”

 

Sam let his grandfather pass, but the brothers followed him. Isabel stayed put, she had no desire to get in between the mess that was there. Again, a gunshot drew her out of the room. Sam and Dean ran in front of them as they exited the room, “It’s Samuel. Isabel, stay put.”

 

She froze in the doorway, peeved, “Like hell.” Her blade appeared in her hand and she was a little more than pleased. They lost him though, and the three returned to Bobby and Rufus.

 

It was decided that they’d stick together, a plan Isabel was all for. Hence the panic when Sam was separated from the rest of them, “Come on, Baby Girl, he’s gonna be okay.” Dean told her, but she had a terrible feeling in her gut that something was about to go terribly wrong. He held her back when they came upon Sam standing over Samuel’s body. They kept her away from his body even though her fingers itched to lay a hand on the man, just to see if she could do anything at all. She was all too willing to leave when they brought in the cranial saw. Samuel came jolting up and bolted them out, they had to watch, then came the electrical testing. The worm proved to be in Bobby before Isabel was tested, and she caught Rufus as he fell, Bobby’s knife in his chest. He was dead before she got him laid out on his back.

 

The boys incapacitated the possessed Bobby and Isabel spent her time dragging the three dead bodies together so they could figure out what to do with them. The worm talked about Eve, and Isabel nearly lost it when it, “You’re all gonna die. She's pissed, she's here, and it's going to be nothing but pain for you from here on in.”

 

Sam held her back while Dean electrocuted Bobby to expel the worm, “You’re going to kill him!” Sam let her go and all three rushed to Bobby when black goo ran out of him. He wasn’t breathing. “I’ve got him!” Isabel cried, hoping she could save someone in this damned excursion. She put her hands over his chest and he was gasping an instant later, grabbing onto her shoulders. She held him gently while he regained his bearings, and held a hand on the back of his shoulder as they stood over Rufus’ grave.

* * *

_"Sometimes I think I over_ _analyze._  
 _As if I can control the time and place._  
 _Life isn't something you try on for size,_  
 _You can't love without the give and take._

_Who's to say the darkened clouds must lead to rain?_  
 _Who's to say the problems should just go away?_  
 _Who's to point a finger at what's not understood?_  
 _Because, we're all mad in our own way,_  
 _Colours fade the grey away._  
 _Different people all the same._  
 _Each reveals the meaning._

_We're all mad in our own way,_  
 _Fill the sky with different shades._  
 _Read the story on each page_  
 _Each reveals the meaning."_

**We're All Mad**  
By: Natasha Bedingfield

* * *

Okay, so kind of plot heavy, but hope it wasn't too dull!

**Question: What are your thoughts on Wincest? Kind of been** **thinking about the boys realizing that they don't mind getting a little closer. I haven't decided either way, just started writing a scene where Isabel's in charge of Sam for once and Dean walks in… Not sure how much to have him join in…depends on what you guys say really! Won't be full on Wincest, just a little, not enough to really impact the plot, but I'm being super indecisive about it.**

Anyway, just let me know! Kudos and comments welcome!

-Jenn

 


	18. A Place In This World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set during Frontierland! And introduces Castiel…finally!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to pyroclasticflow for helping me firm up the first part of this chapter! :) Hopefully you guys aren't put off by anything in this chapter, but just know that the last half of this chapter has been planned almost since I started writing this story.

**A Place In This World:**

“Ooh! Pie!” Isabel screeched, lunging across the bed at Sam, grabbing the bag from his hands. After they got a motel room to give Bobby a bit of space to breathe, both brothers had left, Sam for groceries, Dean for more research material.

 

Sam stood there, stunned still, “What?” He’d expected that reaction from Dean, not Isabel. She glared at him as she pulled the pie out and he raised both hands in defeat, “Okay, don’t mind me. Just leave some for Dean.”

 

Isabel regarded the whipped cream still in the bag carefully, “On second thought...whipped cream sounds really good. Is that weird?”

 

“You are in a weird mood.” Sam said fondly, wincing as Isabel sat down on the worn fabric sofa and started squirting the stuff directly into her mouth.

 

She moaned loudly, “Oh man, that’s exactly what I wanted! Screw pie, Dean can have his fill!” She narrowed her eyes at Sam, licking cream off her fingers, “Speaking of screwing, you still owe me from the other night.”

 

“Shit.” Sam said instantly.

 

Isabel looked between him and the can of whipped cream, “I think I’ve got the perfect way to bide the time until Dean gets back.”

 

That was how Dean found them, Sam on his back tied to the headboard with a naked Isabel licking whipped cream off his aching hard dick. He’d promised her that if she could hold it together, he was all hers for a night. The girl may have been half angel, but that by no means meant she didn’t have a sadistic streak. He should have expected that, but he didn’t realize until she’d slipped a cock ring on him what kind of trouble he’d gotten himself into. He had no idea where she’d gotten the damned thing. He needed to start going through her stuff like she went through his and Dean’s.

 

He’d have already spilled his load over the both of them without the ring on, so by the time Dean showed back up, Sam was close to tears, bucking against her hand when she gripped him to look at the door.

 

“Uh...” Dean wavered in the doorway.

 

Isabel grinned at him, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, “You’re gonna let the dog in if you keep holding the door open.”

 

Dean practically slammed the door behind him. “What’s going on?”

 

Isabel was glowing, “Sam here promised I could be on top for a night, and I’m taking him up on it. He hasn’t been very patient though.” She pumped her hand, “Have you?”

 

Sam moaned, flinging his head back against the pillows, “For God’s sake, Isabel.”

 

She arched an eyebrow at Dean, “See what I mean?”

 

Dean nodded, dropping his bag on the floor. He was totally willing to play along when she looked at him like that. “Yeah, terrible form, dude.”

 

She kissed Dean when he got to the end of the bed, and he was grateful he couldn’t taste Sam over the whipped cream on her lips. He had no problem being naked in front of his brother, even feeling the heat off his brother’s skin, but he just really never wanted to know what his brother's dick tasted like. Isabel worked with one of the buttons on his shirt, and then another, kissing his chest each time more skin was revealed, “I think he needs a lesson in patience. Would you like to help?”

 

“Hell, yeah.” Dean chuckled, shedding his jacket and then his shirt once she got the buttons all undone and started working on his belt.

 

He was inside her less than a minute later, on the other queen sized bed in the room, leaving Sam spread out, hard, and alone on his own bed, watching every move they made. Dean couldn’t help but to glance at him, it was just such an odd situation. Usually, he was the voyeur, but Sam seemed to enjoy watching just as much as he did, eyes dark and jaw trembling.

 

Isabel was on top, her hair pulled over her shoulder so Sam could see everything, “Don’t you wish this was you, Sam?” Dean taunted, pinching her nipples and meeting Isabel halfway with a thrust that had her gasping. Isabel bit down on his shoulder and he came a few seconds later, holding her close.

 

Isabel rolled off him and stumbled to Sam, undoing the cock ring and pumping her hand up his shaft until he spilled in her hand. She undid the cuffs and kissed him, “Good boy.”

 

Sam chuckled breathlessly, resting his head on her lap, “You drive a hard bargain.”

 

She kissed him, rubbing the feeling back into his wrists, “Of course I do. Learned from the best, didn’t I?”

 

“Am I really that much of an asshole?” Sam asked, feeling strung out, barely grabbing the blanket Dean tossed to him.

 

Isabel ruffled his hair, “Only sometimes. Besides, you didn’t safe word, so I didn’t upset you to much. You okay?”

 

Sam nodded, stretching his arms, “Yeah, think I could sleep for a day though.” He frowned at her, “You didn’t come?”

 

Isabel hid the pain well, and smiled at her lover, shrugging, “No big deal. You two had a good time, and that’s good enough for me.”

 

Dean flopped down next to them, but bounced right back up, “Weren’t you going to get pie?”

 

“On the table.” Sam said, spooning Isabel and turning the bedside lap off, “We’ll worry about Eve tomorrow, right now, I need to sleep.”

 

Isabel nodded, slipping away from him and going into the bathroom to clean herself up, reaching down to touch her breasts. Farther down, was slick with Dean’s semen, but she hadn’t hurt there. Instead, every time Dean had pinched her nipples, she’d almost thrown herself off the bed when pain seared through her. So long as she kept control and didn’t let him get too handsy, it hadn’t hurt. It was weird, and Isabel decided if it happened again, she'd go to a doctor. She wasn't about to talk to her mother or aunt about her breasts hurting during sex. It was bad enough that they knew she was getting it on with both of the brothers in the first place.

 

She returned to the bedroom and wiped an exhausted Sam with a hand towel before getting back into bed. Sam nuzzled the back of her shoulder and she drifted to sleep next to his space heater body, listening to Dean moan over his pie.

 

The next morning they headed to the Campbell library with Bobby, and started going through books. It took most of the day, but they came upon the Phoenix solution and started hunting down information about the fabled bird instead of Eve. “You guys know when you invited me on this grand hunting trip, I was expecting more ass kicking and less book reading. If I wanted to be a librarian, I could have stayed with Aunt Alice.”

 

Sam rolled his eyes at Isabel, “Well, can’t all be blood and guts, can it?”

 

“Guess not.” She replied, relieved when Dean found Samuel Colt’s journal. The boys fan-girled over it and then cracked open their time travel theory after Dean got uptight about Bobby and Sam’s lack of Star Trek knowledge, and Isabel’s insistence that she was a Star Wars fan, not a Trekkie.

 

Dean summoned Castiel but got an angel named Rachel instead, and after a great deal of nasty words between her and the brothers, Castiel arrived. He completely ignored Isabel’s presence until they were all back at Bobby’s and Dean had left on a supply run.

 

Castiel finally looked at her, a mix of awe and disgust on his face, hidden just behind the impassive facade, “You’re...”

 

“Isabel.” She finished, but it almost looked like that hadn’t been the word he was looking for, “Your sister.” She added, just incase it wasn’t clear. Although she knew Jimmy Novak was truly the man in front of her, not Castiel, they had the same eyes. Weird.

 

“Yes, half-sister. By a Mother I thought dead.” He said tightly, turning away from her to talk to Sam and Bobby, but not before he said something that sounded suspiciously like an Enochian vulgarity her brain could only half translate.

 

Some of the tension in the room melted away when Dean came back, wielding bags from a Western store. Isabel was still trying not to panic about the 24 hour time limit, but had to laugh when Dean pulled a corset out of one bag and winked at her. Sam had to hassle him, “Dude, you have a fetish.”

 

“Shut up. I like old movies. Besides, how hot would Iz look in this?” Dean asked his brother, not bothering to bring up the long list of fetishes Isabel’d told him Sam had.

 

“She won’t be going.” Castiel said firmly, and the four turned to look at him. Isabel saw the lie in his eyes as he said, “If there’s three of you, the time to retrieve you will be less. She will stay here with Bobby.” The brother's didn't notice the lie, but kept insisting that one of them stay with her.

 

Isabel spent all evening convincing the brothers she’d be fine holed up at Bobby’s for 24 hours. That she was a grown ass woman, not a child. Finally, they stood in Bobby’s study, the brothers dressed up and Isabel wearing loose jeans and one of Dean’s shirts. Dean looked sternly at Bobby, “You look after her, okay, like you would us.”

 

Bobby almost smiled, “Of course, you idjits come back. No use to us if you’re dead.”

 

“Thanks, Bobby.” Sam said, grimacing. After she’d kissed both of them, Castiel touched their foreheads and they vanished. The angel vanished a second later, not sparing her another look. She made the decision that Castiel definitely ranked below Daniel on her favorite brother list, and he was already third behind Jesse and Adam.

 

With the boys gone, Isabel was anxious. Bobby clapped her on the shoulder, “Come on, girl. Let’s get some food in you, you look ready to drop, and I’m too old to heft you anywhere. Those boys’d kill me if you got sick on my watch.”

 

“No thanks, Bobby. I’m not hungry. Kinda nauseated, actually.” She said, picking up a sweater to fold. Bobby grunted and left her alone, and she froze. Without the brothers close, her mind had a chance to breathe, to think of something other than them. 

 

She was never one to be nauseated, not since she'd found her father's remains splattered around their house, but she had been several times over the last few weeks. Something had to be wrong with her. She had never hurt like that before. She'd never not enjoyed the pain inflicted on her, and she'd certainly never wanted to cry after sex just because her boobs got manhandled a bit. The only reason she'd been able to sleep was because she was exhausted. Which didn't make sense. The most exerting part of her day before Dean came back was sucking on Sam like he was a lollipop. He'd tasted weird, and if she hadn't had the cream, she'd probably not have gone past the first lick. Like the beer that everyone else had decided tasted fine, her tastebuds were off.

 

Her supernatural abilities were off too: She’d healed Will’s terminal brain cancer all those months ago, but hadn’t even been able to stem the blood flow from Gwen Campbell’s gunshot wound. Truth be told, her healing had been spotty in general since just before they’d found out that Sam was missing part of his soul.

 

Her thoughts strayed to her high school health class: “Chemical changes can affect a pregnant woman before she even knows she’s pregnant.”

 

And then to her mother: “Soon, Isabel, your blood is going to change and supernatural creatures will be able to tell exactly what you are when they lay eyes on you, until you learn to hide it at least.”

 

She went scrambling through her stuff to find the book on nephilim that her aunt had give her, flipping furiously through it. “Oh shit.”

 

It was right there, a section hidden in two pages that stuck together. She’d never noticed it before, not until she was looking and noticed a jump in the page numbers. That section was all she needed to know: “The final step in female nephilim development is triggered with simultaneous increases in estrogen and progesterone, usually the result of pregnancy as human hormonal medications, like most human drugs, have no effect on nephilim. After this spike in hormones, the protective barriers around the nephilim will falter and fail, leaving them exposed to identification by undesirable creatures.”

 

She read a few paragraphs down and was overwhelmingly nauseated: “Most nephilim are killed by undesirable creatures before the pregnancy can advance past the first few weeks, but those who aren’t killed will most likely suffer miscarriages due to eptopic pregnancy, the most common result of a nephilim pregnancy. In the case of a viable pregnancy, many nephilim have further, often life threatening, difficulties, and most pregnancies are forcibly terminated by the nephilim’s mate(s) to save the mother.”

 

Isabel sat on the floor of the room she and the Winchester’s had been sharing, trying to comprehend the fact that there was a very good chance that she was pregnant. She couldn’t stop herself though, the attachment was almost instantaneous. She would do anything to have Sam or Dean’s baby. She’d dreamed of being a mother when she was younger, but what chance in hell did a baby have with the Mother of All monsters still running around? Then again, from the looks of what was written in the book, there didn’t seem to be much hope that she’d ever hold her baby in her arms.

 

Bobby heard her fling herself into the bathroom, and was standing in the doorway when she finally stopped heaving, flushing the contents of her stomach. “Balls. You are sick.”

 

“No, no I’m not.” Isabel whispered, desperately calling her mother’s phone but getting no answer.

 

He knelt next to her, putting a hand on her forehead, “You’re not warm. What’s wrong?”

 

“I can’t tell you.” She said, curling into a ball, feeling like a teenager wrestling with her first period and not wanting to tell her father. She’d never had that though, her father had been dead long before that. Her mother'd always been there for her, and even when she hadn’t, Daniel had. Isabel straightened against the wall and yelled, “Daniel!” She jumped to her feet when her angel brother appeared and lunged at him with the book, smacking him as hard as she could for several moments, “You fucking asshole! Why wouldn’t you warn me?” She stilled, chest heaving, locking her blue eyes with his.

 

Daniel took a deep breath through his nose, and closed his eyes, “You. You’re. Shit, Isabel. You reek of angel.” She whacked him again, the book thwacking against his skin, leaving a red welt that stayed for a second before fading. Daniel grabbed her arms when she hit him again, holding her by her wrists. “Ow, damnit, stop that. It wasn’t cute when you were a kid, and it’s less cute now.”

 

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Isabel asked, voice soft, going limp in his grasp.

 

A multitude of expressions crossed his face until it settled on pity, “Mom ordered me not to. You’d have fought it and it’d have only been hurting yourself. You’ll be stronger now.”

 

“You two wanna tell me what the hell is going?” Bobby growled.

 

Daniel let Isabel’s arms go, but took the book from her, putting it on the counter so he could pull her to him. It was an unusually human display from her brother, but it was what she needed. “I’ve got you, Belle. You’ll be okay.” He looked to Bobby, “In order to be considered adults, women like Isabel have to get pregnant.” He hesitated for a second, tightening his grip around his youngest sister, “It never ends well.”

 

“Never?” Isabel hiccuped, looking up at him with wide eyes. “Daniel, can you tell?”

 

He shook his head, “I can’t even heal, Isabel, not my realm of abilities. I’m a thinker and a fighter. It’s why I couldn’t save the human Daniel. I’m not meant to feel, Isabel. It’s why when I want to, I can turn it all off, stop things from hurting, keep guilt at bay.” He gave a tiny smile, trying to encourage her to calm down, “You need to see a real doctor.”

 

“Why can’t my life just be normal?” Isabel moaned.

 

“Blame Mom.”

 

“Oh, I do. Where is she anyway? She didn’t answer her phone.” Isabel asked.

 

Daniel hesitated again, “I’m not sure. She’s not returning my calls either and I’ve been on Adam and Jesse duty. I shouldn’t leave them alone for too long, they like to wan-.”

 

“Please go with me.” Isabel said, cutting him off.

 

After a few seconds, Daniel nodded, “Okay, brat. Where are Sam and Dean?”

 

“Not here, thank God.” They didn’t need to see her so upset. She noticed the smile on her brother’s face and hit him again, “You don’t get to tease me when I’m this angry.”

 

He laughed at her, holding the hand she’d hit him with, “Just imagine how you’d feel if I went around saying, ‘Thank Joseph’ all the time.”

 

“Such a ham, Daniel Hastings.” She closed her eyes, “What am I supposed to do?”

 

“Doctor, preferably before your mates get back, although they should never leave you alone without giving someone a heads up.” Daniel said, going across the hallway and tossing her shoes at her, “Let’s go.”

 

“Hold on a minute, I told those boys I’d watch after her. I’m coming too.” Bobby said firmly, though he really wasn’t sure what was going on. Isabel didn’t look pregnant. Daniel glanced at his sister, who nodded, and then he grabbed both of them. “Balls.” Bobby cursed when they were suddenly in an alleyway right next to a hospital.

 

“Daniel.” Isabel said chastising his choice of hospital. Bobby’d almost died in there.

 

“It’ll be easier: people know you, they’ll be less focused on paperwork, and less stress for you.” Daniel told her, dragging them to the entrance, ignoring Bobby’s protests.

 

Isabel had an easier time wrenching out of his grip. She was standing completely straight, a tiny smile on her face, “I met Sam, right here for the very first time.” She looked at Bobby, “He was worried about you.”

 

“We worry about each other, that’s how this all works.” He put a heavy hand on her shoulder, “I’m not sure what the hell is going on, but I’m worried about you now. Think you should probably follow your asshole brother.”

 

She nodded, and followed the two men. A few people recognized them, the seemingly perfect blonde children that belonged to the devastatingly beautiful Veronica Hastings, the nurse with the oddest schedule but the kindest touch. Daniel waved back, allowing Isabel to stick to his side as they entered the obstetric unit. Daniel did all the talking, charming the woman at the desk the only way he knew how, with lots of angel Grace seeping into his voice. It didn’t take long to get Isabel into a vacated appointment time. Isabel filled the papers out furiously, glad one of the women had grabbed her file so she didn’t have to try to remember a lifetime of immunizations. Although she was seemingly immune now, apparently as children, she and nephilim Daniel had been little germ magnets. Faintly she remembered he’d been sick the day he’d died, worse than ever before. She pushed the thought away, she couldn’t really mourn a brother she couldn’t really remember. And she couldn’t blame that little boy for being the reason their father got killed. The demons would have gotten to Joseph eventually anyway.

 

The fifteen minute wait after they drew blood and got a urine sample nearly killed her. She paced the tiny room like a caged animal, not even bothering to snap at the women who were filling their time gossiping about her and the two men. Bobby stayed in the waiting room, but she insisted that Daniel go in with her. “I’m Daniel, Isabel’s brother.” He said almost immediately after the doctor entered, holding his hand out and giving her a charming smile.

 

The woman smiled back, seemingly unconcerned by him being there. “So, Isabel, you’re here cause you think you’re pregnant?”

 

Isabel nodded, “Pretty sure, but, uh...there’s a history of miscarriage in our family.”

 

The doctor nodded sympathetically, skimming the file she’d brought in with her that no doubt had Isabel’s life history plus the results of the urine tests. She held her breath as the woman said, “Well, you are pregnant, but from your medical history, there’s no reason to assume that you’ll have trouble. You’re a healthy twenty-seven year old.”

 

Isabel sighed, “I know, but I’m worried.”

 

“Let’s take a look then.” The doctor told her as she pulled a cart towards them and had Isabel lie down. She glanced up at Daniel, “You might not want to be in here for this.”

 

“I’ll turn my back.” Daniel said firmly when Isabel grabbed his hand. He smiled down at her, his back to the doctor. “You’re fine, Belle. I won’t leave you. Relax.”

 

She tried, she really did, but it didn’t stop her from breaking out into terrifying sobs when the doctor said, “Miss. Hastings, you are in the midst of a perfectly normal pregnancy.”

* * *

_"I don't know what I want, so don't ask me,  
_ _Cause I'm still trying to figure it out.  
_ _Don't know what's down this road, I'm just walking,  
_ _Trying to see through the rain coming down.  
_ _Even though I'm not the only one  
_ _Who feels the way I do._

_I'm alone, on my own, and that's all I know._   
_I'll be strong, I'll be wrong, oh but life goes on._   
_Oh, I'm just a girl, trying to find a place in this world."_

**A Place In This World  
** By: Taylor Swift

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please, let me know what you think! I've finished the next two chapters, but I'm open to any suggestions 'cause it's not written in stone until I've published it!  
> -Jenn


	19. Cool Kids

**Cool Kids:**

The doctor tapped Isabel’s hand, “Hey, don't cry. Sweetheart, look.” She pointed to a grey blob on the screen that looked more like a tiny bean than a baby, “Right there, that’s the fetus, in the uterus, where it's supposed to be. Looks like you’re about nine weeks, you’re a little small at this point, based on your weight from your last annual with Dr. Cross, but everything looks good. Isabel, you can breathe easy.” 

 

"So there's nothing wrong?" Isabel asked hardly trusting the words.

 

The doctor removed the terribly invasive instrument and Isabel sighed in relief, listening raptly to the woman’s next words, “I can't say for certain now. I’ll know more when we get your blood tests back, but there’s no reason for you to worry right now. Everything looks healthy.”

 

“Healthy?” Daniel echoed, a bright smile on his face and he bent to kiss Isabel on the cheek, “You’re beating the odds, Belle. Congrats.”

 

She slapped him, blue eyes dark, “Don’t you dare congratulate me, you asshole.”

 

The doctor looked between the two, and Isabel was sure she was thinking sordid things. She kept her composure though, “You have six weeks to decide if you want an ab-”

 

“No.” Isabel said firmly, but calmed herself down by shooting Daniel another glare before giving the doctor a small smile, “No, thank you. Just, what kinds of things do I need to be doing now?” Leaving the room with a sonogram photo in her back pocket and a mile long list of immediate changes to her life, Isabel smacked her brother again, cornering him in the hallway, her angel blade at his neck, “Is there anything else you’re not telling me? I don’t care if Mom told you not to. I deserve to know. And I’m not sure what the hell would happen if I stuck you with this thing, so don’t make me find out.”

 

“That’s it, Isabel, I promise. You have to understand, most nephilim don’t even ever know they’re pregnant.” His face was a mask of sincerity and regret. “I’m the Angel of Wise Judgment, I never factored the possibility of a viable pregnancy into the equation.”

 

“What equation?” Isabel said, frustration mounting. Getting information from her brother had always been hard, but she didn’t seem to have the patience she used to have.

 

Daniel put his hands on her shoulders, more to focus her than to push her away, “I may not be Daniel Hastings, but I’m still your brother, and I’ve made the most terrible mistake someone with my purpose can make. I’ve watched you grow from a traumatized five year old girl into the gorgeous woman you are today. You are my sister, more than any of my angelic siblings. I made the judgment to obey Mother not because I fear or worship her, but because I thought it was the right choice for you. If I had told you your fate, it would have devastated you. Isabel, you’ve always wanted to be a mother. I thought it would be kinder to let nature take it’s course than to crush you. I’m so happy for you, I am grateful that I was wrong, but I won’t apologize for any of it.”

 

Isabel threw her arms around his neck, her blade gone, “Thank you, for always coming when I need you, and not when I want you.”

 

Daniel chuckled, “That’s what big brothers are for.” He pulled her off of him, looking seriously at her, “You’re right, you deserve it all.” He took a deep breath, “They’re all distracted by Auntie Eve right now, but once she’s gone, all of creature-dom will be looking for you. While you’re pregnant, your blood will cure them of their handicaps.”

 

"Why me?"

 

Daniel winced, "More the baby than you. A child of a direct angelic bloodline and the Winchesters. There's a lot of power there, and creatures need that power to rid themselves of their handicaps.

 

Isabel frowned, “They want to be human? I thought they though humans were cattle?”

 

“Not human, Isabel.” Daniel corrected, “Vampires immune to Dead Man’s Blood and sunlight. Djinn immune to silver and lamb’s blood. Demons that can’t be bound by Devil’s Traps, kept out by salt, or exorcised. You get the drift.” Isabel stared at her brother in horror, and he pinned her with his eyes again, “We thought we only had to worry about your blood being active for a few weeks, not months. I support the decision you've made because you are my sister and I love you, but it’s only fair that you know exactly what the apocalypse Mother was referring to is. You are the key that unlocks a floodgate of Hell on Earth. You cannot let them get their hands on you. You would be kept alive and drained of your blood every day like a milk cow until you lost the baby or it’s born. You cannot let that happen. I want you to swear to me, Isabel, that you will kill yourself before you let that happen. I love you, and you don’t deserve the fate that would await you at their hands. And your child, Isabel, if they got your child, it would be used as a weapon like none before. A fate worse than death.”

 

She nodded slowly, trying to understand it all, her heart in her throat, “I understand, and yes, if it means you’ll support me in this insanity I’m apparently embarking on, I will kill myself if I’m captured.” She couldn't imagine doing it, knowing that she'd be killing her child too, but Daniel was right. Her child would be a weapon, more than likely with the humanity tortured out or it's mind completely enslaved by their captors. 

 

Daniel pulled her to him this time, burying his face in her hair, “If anyone can get through this, it’s you. You’ve been working magic since you were four years old. You have the strongest Grace in any nephilim I’ve ever seen, and that’s probably why you’ve even been pregnant this long. For now, focus on Eve. Don’t distract the Winchesters.”

 

“You mean don’t tell them I’m pregnant.”

 

“Exactly.” He straightened the vest he was wearing, “How long till they return?”

 

Isabel checked her watch, “Noon tomorrow.”

 

He scowled, “We’d better hurry then. In your state the best you’ll be able to manage is to not scream demon bait. If they see you, they’ll know you for what you are. Best bet is to avoid being noticed. We can see if invisibility is one of your gifts later.”

 

“We have to get Bobby.” She reminded him when he reached towards her again.

 

His usual annoyed face returned, “Make it quick.”

 

She glared at him, biting the inside of her cheek, “Seriously, I’m about to tell the man that he’s going to be a pseudo grandfather, but that he can’t breathe a word of it to anyone. That’s gonna take a minute.”

 

They exited the hospital before Bobby couldn’t contain himself, “Well?”

 

Isabel repeated everything once they got back to the salvage yard and Daniel had vanished after deeming that she no longer reeked. It had been a long process, taking into the well into the night, but Bobby had been waiting up with a beer for her to explain, so she did, ending with, “Do you understand why you can’t say anything?”

 

He looked seconds from throttling her, “I get it. But I don’t like it. They’ll be pissed.”

 

“Yes, but we’ll all be alive, so they can yell while I eat pickles and ice cream.” Isabel told him, already dreading the lecture she was going to get. And more than likely she wouldn’t even get punished for keeping a secret like she would have before. Sam would be too worried about the baby. Provided they didn’t instantly try to force her towards getting rid of it. Isabel worried her lower lip with her teeth, unsure of their reactions.

 

Bobby saw the fear in her eyes, "Hey, they're good boys, and they love you."

 

"That's the problem." Isabel said softly, "There's so much between the three of us that I'm not sure how much we actually control. Any threat to them sends me into this feral sort of mindset, and I know it's the same with them. What if I have complications? I have no idea if they'll be able to control themselves enough not to force me to get rid of it. There's so many variables, Bobby, and I'm terrified."

 

Bobby laughed, "Pretty sure you're going to feel the same way for eighteen years. Hell, I still feel that way with those boys, and they're both grown. That's called being a parent, and those boys would never hurt you or any kid."

 

Isabel hugged him again, "Thank you, Grandpa."

 

Bobby laughed, hugging her back, "Yeah, we'll work on something better than that. You'd best get some sleep if you don't want them playing twenty questions with you.

 

Isabel went to bed that night with her arms wrapped around her stomach, Ion curled around her, and she stayed in bed until ten, taking a shower and settling downstairs with a book to wait on the boys. Thankfully, Bobby didn't hover until after eleven, throwing a sandwich at her and ordering her to eat. Exactly at noon, Dean and Sam ran through the living room, Dean falling to his knees, an empty bottle in his hands. Isabel hightailed it to the bathroom again, her stomach rolling. Sam was answering the door when she crossed back through the hallway. Dean glared at her skeptically, "You okay?"

 

"Just an anxious stomach. What are we going to do now?" She tried to keep the fear off her face. Without the ashes, what would happen? She couldn’t keep the pregnancy under-wraps for very long, especially if she kept getting sick every five minutes. They were bound to notice. And if she had to keep it up for too much longer, she’d start showing before a good time to tell them came up. That wouldn’t work at all.

 

She nearly cried when Sam pulled the ash filled jar out of the box from the delivery guy at the door, and then dissolved into laughter at the genuine corset in the bottom of the box, “Guess you talked to Samuel about me?”

 

Dean grinned, flying high, “Showed him pictures, you were probably his spank bank starlet till he kicked it.”

 

Isabel glared, and Sam laughed, “G-rated, Izzy, I promise. He did think you were pretty though. Kept asking if Ion was a skinwalker.”

 

“Not a skinwalker, just genetically altered. Should have seen me as a teenager, total awkward nerd, and had glasses. Apparently perfect vision is a late blooming talent.” Isabel said with a laugh, trying to keep talk away from her figure or her illness.

 

Dean squinted at her, “You wouldn’t happen to have those glasses still, would you?”

 

Isabel whacked him on the shoulder, vaguely wondering if being pregnant was making her more violent than usual. “No, I don’t, and you need to go run a lap or something. You are way too keyed up.”

 

He kissed her brusquely, “Guy doesn’t have the tools to gank the Mother-of-All everyday. I’m gonna go take a shower. I’ve got dirt places I didn’t know I had.”

 

Now it was Sam looking at her skeptically, as Bobby went to get celebratory beers, “You sure you’re okay?”

 

She nodded furiously, “Yeah, I’m fine. Rough night. I was worried about you two.”

 

He smiled, the puppy dog smile that made her weak at the knees every time, “Have to be honest, I was worried about us too.” He touched under her right eye, over the finger print bruise of a bad night’s sleep she knew was there, “How long did you sleep?”

 

“Probably not enough.” She admitted, a tiny sheepish smile on her face.

 

Sam scowled at her, “That’s not good, Isabel.”

 

Usually she would have taunted him, teased him into a round of punishing sex, but she wasn’t looking for a repeat of the other night with Dean. She nodded, taking a beer from Bobby, “I know, but we’re celebrating now. I can take a nap later. Unless you’re tired.”

 

Bobby stood behind Sam, glaring at her, but Sam was oblivious, giving another puppy dog grin, “Honestly, a nap sounds great. We probably slept less than you did.”

 

Isabel sat the full beer down and grabbed Sam’s hand, “Come on then, I’m exhausted.” 

 

As they climbed the stairs, Isabel looked back at Bobby and gave him a smile. He shook his head, picking up the beer she hadn’t touched and taking a swig from it, plopping down on his sofa. A part of her could imagine him gruffly coddling a tiny new Winchester, teaching him or her how to fix up cars before the little thing could even read, listening to Sam and Dean squabble with him over when to give the kid his or hers first beer, Isabel would win that one though. Just as much as Bobby had become a father to the brothers, he was slowly becoming one for her. He would be the most amazing grandparent on the planet, no matter what the little one called him.

 

Those thoughts made her stop halfway up the aged staircase, Sam jolting a little in surprise, his grip on her shoulders slipping. “Izzy?”

 

She’d known for twenty-four hours, but she’d only just started imagining a tiny person in her life, half her, half Winchester. It was surreal, and she ached to be normal, to just be able to tell them that they were going to have a baby, but she couldn’t. She smiled at Sam, hoping it was smooth enough for him to ignore her absentmindedness, “Sorry, just trying to remember if I fed Ion.”

 

Sam laughed softly, and Bobby yelled up, “I fed him breakfast!”

 

“Awesome.” Isabel muttered, almost sounding nervous. She tamped it down, “I swear, with all this monster stuff it’s hard to remember if I’ve fed myself sometimes, not to mention the dog.” The animal in question bounded up the stairs past them, and they both laughed, following the energetic thing to their bedroom where he was already curled up on the bed, waiting. Isabel curled next to the beast, Sam at her back, but when Dean got out of the shower, she wriggled out of the snug spot, “Gonna take a shower.” She knows the boys are probably staring after her. She almost never ended up taking a shower alone, but this time, she didn’t gaze huskily back at them or invite them in, she just left, grabbing clothes on her way out. She felt stupid, like that girl in the Twilight movies, when she turned her side to the mirror and scoured her naked body for any signs of change. Nothing. Of course the rational part of her knew that it could be two months before things became really obvious. She showered quickly to make up the time, and slid into bed next to Dean in a tank top and her favorite pair of pajama pants.

 

Sam was snoring, but Dean’s green eyes blinked back at her, reflected in the filtered daylight streaming through the window. He pulled her close, front to front just far enough apart that Isabel could tilt her head to look at his handsome face, “Can I ask a question?” Isabel whispered.

 

Dean grinned at her, “Think you just did.”

 

She rolled her eyes, and after several more moments of deliberation asked, “What was your mom like?” She knew Sam didn’t really remember past photographs and one time travel incident, but Dean should.

 

Isabel wasn’t sure how he’d take her question, not until he smiled at her, brushing a strand of wet hair out of her face, “She was fierce. I mean really, Dad was a pushover back then, but Mom would go crazy if I got picked on at preschool. My teacher actually had her escorted out to calm down one time. She had this smile that could light up the whole room, and I always knew I was safe as long as she was around.” He stalled for a second, “She always told me I had angels watching over me. Now I’ve got an angel of my own to watch over.”

 

Isabel gave him a lopsided wry grin, “Half-angel, you charmer.” She ducked her head under his chin, “Wish I’d met her.”

 

He kissed the crown of her hair, “I think you two would have gotten along pretty well.”

 

“You and Sam would never step another foot out of line if we ganged up.” Isabel taunted sleepily. She almost told him then, how there were actually five of them in bed, not four.

 

Instead, she dreamed about it. In her dream, she woke up in a tangle of limbs, hazel eyes inches from her face, “Momma.”

 

Dean was spooned behind her, Sam taking up his half, sprawled with one hand under his face and half of his body hanging off the bed. Ion was curled at the foot of the bed, and a small child was right in the middle, staring at her. “What?”

 

“I went potty.” The kid said, whispering the way only little kids can, meaning, not whispering at all, but rasping.

 

Her first instinct was to touch the bed under the kid, but it was dry, “Where?”

 

The kid grabbed her hand and led her down the bed to the tiny exit between Ion and Sam’s left foot. “Momma, look!” The kid shrieked, pointing at a hand-painted toddler toilet. Led  Zeppelin...naturally. That had Dean written all over it, but she’d never known him to be artistic, at least not outside of drawing runes in blood or salt.

 

Isabel picked the kid up, a boy, she realized, and sat him on her hip, “Good job, Bud!”

 

He giggled and kissed her on the cheek, leaving his arms around her neck. She stood, unsure of what to do next, but Sam saved her the trouble, peering around the doorframe, a questioning look on his face, “Success?”

 

“Yes.” Isabel said, and an instant later Sam had the little boy in his arms, the pair making every bit of noise she and the boy hadn’t. She left the bathroom, smiling to herself, enjoying every blissful moment of the dream. She paused in front of a door that had been painted navy blue, a name painted in white in her own handwriting. Her eye strayed to the window in the hallway, lined with salt in clear tubing just like her house had been. She couldn’t imagine a more perfect life for them. They’d never be normal, but at least they might be able to settle down one day soon, some semblance of a normal family like the one she’d had but the boys had never. The life their mother had wanted for them, the best she could.

 

Isabel woke up warm and content, until Dean blew cold air into her ear, “Rise and shine! We’re butt kicking today!”

 

She squinted at the alarm clock, “It’s one o’clock in the morning.”

 

“Yup, and we’re gonna teach you how to fill shot gun shells with Phoenix ash.” He said enthusiastically, grabbing her hand just like the little boy in her dream had, and hauled her out of bed. “Let’s go!”

 

Sam slept through it all, and he and Bobby came down stairs a few hours later while Dean filled the last shell and Isabel sipped on a cup of coffee she wished was the real stuff, but all the coffee had mysteriously been rearranged and decaf was all she could find. She was already regretting letting Bobby see the list of rules the doctor had given her, but his self satisfied smirk made up for most of her frustration. Her mood soured again when her douche-bag half brother pretty much appeared out of Dean’s ass. Sure, they needed him to locate Eve, but she wanted to smack the clueless look off his face. An hour later, he returned, and Bobby about had a coronary, stepping between Isabel and the woman Castiel had dropped into the room, “Go upstairs, now, Isabel.” He ordered while the brothers tried to calm the woman, apparently named Lenore, down. She wasn’t going to go away willingly, but hovered on the stairs, crouched so she could see the boys and Lenore, her angel blade in her hand ready to use if she needed to.

 

“I might as well be a video camera.” The woman said bitterly, “What are you thinking? Especially with that thing right here.” Her dusty eyes had landed on Isabel.

 

Bobby stepped closer, drawing her eyes from Isabel, “So, we don’t have the element of surprise. We’re still going in.”

 

The woman finally gave up a location, Grants Pass, Oregon. She was goading the brothers into killing her when Isabel saw Castiel appear behind her, “Don’t you dare!” She yelled, and he froze, hand inches from the back of Lenore’s head.

 

Bobby tried to grab her when she ran to put herself between Lenore and her least favorite brother. “What are you doing?” Lenore asked, sounding like a lost little girl.

 

Isabel turned her back to her brother, putting a hand on Lenore’s shoulder, hating how the woman shuddered under her touch, “We’ll do what Dean said. We’ll tie you up. You won’t hurt anyone else, promise. You’ll be okay.” She stamped back hard on Castiel’s foot and looked over her shoulder at him, “Don’t you dare touch her again. Or I’ll find out what I can do with the nifty thing in my pocket.” Castiel glared at her in disdain, but she ignored him, pleased that he’d grunted just a little. She ticked her head to Bobby, “Where can we put her?”

 

Bobby grumbled at her the entire walk to his panic room, and Lenore just stared at her, letting herself be led like a small child, “Why are you-?”

 

Isabel pulled the three of them to a stop, “Because, you didn’t ask for this, and you don’t enjoy it.” She called Daniel on her cellphone and ushered Bobby away, “I’ll be fine, go watch the boys.” He left, but only because she had her angel blade in her hand. Daniel picked up on the last ring, “Don’t come to me, Castiel is here.”

 

Daniel was caught off guard, “Okay, what do you need?”

 

“You said if they took my blood, it would make them stronger. What if I give one of them my blood? Healing takes will, right? Couldn’t I focus it?” Isabel asked in a rush.

 

“Shit, Iz, what are you doing?” Daniel cursed. “You want to make a monster human?”

 

“Don’t patronize me. Answer the question.” She snapped, holding the panic room door open for Lenore. “Yes, she has a good soul.” Lenore looked close to completely losing it, so Isabel tried to hurry it along, “What do I do?”

 

Daniel hummed for a few seconds, “I guess, the intention might change the end result, since you’re half human, there’s a spell you could try in combination with your blood, but it’ll be a long shot. ”

 

Daniel talked her through it, and Lenore just watched with disbelieving eyes. When it came time for Isabel to bleed, she touched Lenore’s shoulder, “Please don’t try to kill me, I’m pregnant, and I really don’t want to have to kill you when I’m trying to save you.”

 

“I won’t.” Lenore said breathlessly. And she didn’t.

* * *

 _"She sees them walking in a straight line, that's not really her style._  
And they all got the same heartbeat, but hers is falling behind.  
Nothing in this world could ever bring them down.  
Yeah, they're invincible, and she's just in the background.  
And she says,  
  
"I wish that I could be like the cool kids,  
'Cause all the cool kids, they seem to fit in.  
I wish that I could be like the cool kids, like the cool kids."  
  
He sees them talking with a big smile, but they haven't got a clue.  
Yeah, they're living the good life, can't see what he is going through.  
They're driving fast cars, but they don't know where they're going.  
In the fast lane, living life without knowing."

**Cool Kids  
By: Echosmith**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just gonna leave this here! If you're reading, please drop me a note and I'll get the final chapter out soon!


	20. A White Demon Love Song

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here's the end! Any suggestions on a title for the sequel?

**A White Demon Love Song:**

Isabel pulled the door to the panic room closed, with one last glance at a sleeping Lenore. After finishing the spell, Isabel had cut her arm again to test if Lenore still wanted to eat her. Lenore had burst into tears and pulled Isabel into a very human hug. She’d asked that Lenore make herself scarce, but had given her her address in Castlewood, “Stay there as long as you need. There’s money in a bag in the tank of the upstairs toilet. Go to the library, my aunt will give you a job if you want it.”

 

Yet again, Castiel soured her mood, glaring impatiently as she rejoined them to head to Grants Pass, leaving Ion behind. Things went fine from there, they found a diner, and proceeded to research all the local stuff, but then Castiel killed the last ounce of tranquility still lingering from her pleasant dream. “I’m powerless.” Dean got in a good insult about him being a baby in a trench coat, and Isabel took great joy in the hurt expression on Castiel’s face. He looked even more upset when her angel blade slid into her hand under the table with no issues. “You’re an abomination. I’m not surprised.”

 

She almost came over the table at him, but Bobby interrupted with his new information, which led to Dean and Castiel going off on their own. Somehow, with less people, the looks Bobby kept giving her were more invasive. He made her wait in the car while he and Sam checked out Dr. Silver’s house. At least when they met back up at Ed Bright’s house, she got to see the look on Castiel’s face when Dean threw out another baby jab. As the brothers walked away, Isabel wagged her blade at him teasingly. Bobby scowled, “Girl, you cut that out.”

 

Castiel stared at her, “He knows.”

 

Isabel wanted to punch him. Yup, pregnancy was making her more violent and more gooey hearted, an odd juxtaposition. “Yes, he does, and as soon as Eve is dead, so will they, not any sooner, you hear me?”

 

“Yes. I hear you.” He replied, but she got the feeling that he’d taken her threat as literal.

 

In the bar, surrounded by dead bodies that had once been human, Dean pulled Isabel behind the bar when the locals came in. They got to the police station just in time to hear Sam yell, “Jefferson Starships!”

 

Dean and Isabel made quick work of the three creatures, and, amusingly, being splattered with blood didn’t make her feel like she wanted to be sick. Probably just the adrenaline though. She cleaned herself and Dean up with towels from the break room while Bobby interrogated the creature they’d left alive.

 

The boys found Dr. Silver’s two sons when they went to clear the rest of the building, and pulled her from watching Bobby to help them. Although he didn’t want to talk, Ryan held on tightly to her hand while Sam and Dean went through a series of tests, and even when they rejoined Bobby and Castiel, he still kept a hold of her. She road behind Sam in the Impala on the way to the kids family, Ryan holding her hand even when he finally leaned into Joe’s side to go to sleep. She passed him from her hold to his uncle’s, and slipped out behind Sam and Dean, heading back to Grants Pass. She barely kept the diner food down when she saw the remains of the monster Castiel had interrogated.

 

Isabel stayed outside the diner on 25 Buckley Street, at least until the shutters closed. She kneed Bobby in the balls and ran for the door. Castiel didn’t try to stop her, and she tumbled through the doors just as Eve said, “After all, a mother defends her children.”

 

“Really, you’re going to use Mother-Of-The-Year as your defense?” Dean scoffed, looking out the corner of his eye to glare at Isabel.

 

“It happens to be true.” She said haughtily, and then Eve turned her youthful gaze to Isabel, “You look pale, dear one. Children do ask so much of their mothers, even before we give them life.” Isabel gasped, stepping farther behind Sam. Eve tutted, “Oh, no need to pretend you’re afraid. You made the choice to come in, after all. A poor one.”

 

“What the hell is she talking about?” Sam growled, looking as far back as he could without dropping his defensive pose, Dean doing the same.

 

Isabel straightened slightly. Showing fear wasn’t going to work, the jig was up anyway, “You’re right, it was a poor choice, but I couldn’t send them here to die alone.”

 

Eve smiled, “We could have been great friends, you and I. You are my niece after all, and you’re so much more like me than your brothers and sister ever were. Do you even know why it was a poor choice?” Isabel didn’t respond, and Eve chuckled softly, eyes turning cold, “You do. A mother should never put her child in danger the way you have. I find myself increasingly disenchanted by you just for that.”

 

Both brothers turned to Isabel, but it was Dean who got the words out first, “What child?

 

Isabel swayed a little at the reality of it all, a hand over her mouth as she finally whispered, “I’m pregnant.”

 

“What? Why didn’t you tell us?” Sam asked breathlessly.

 

Isabel put a hand on his arm, attempting to mollify him, “I only found out two days ago, I was trying to find the right time-”

 

“How about before we came here!” Dean yelled, cutting her off, and jerking her away from Sam, holding both of her forearms and shaking her lightly.

 

Eve sighed dramatically, “Oh, Dean, don’t hurt her. There’s still so much fun to be had. After all, the biggest question here is: Whose the daddy? What if it’s Sam’s? All that demon blood, conceived while he was missing parts of his soul. That’s why she didn’t tell you. You two would force a paternity test, and if it was Sam’s, you’d make her get rid of it. Especially since the child is already draining her Grace. Nephilim are never so scuffed up, she’s not healing properly. You two would be afraid that the child would consume it’s mother. Isabel is a mother in that aspect. She hid it’s existence because she knows that the biggest threat to her baby is the two of you.”

 

“Let me go. That’s not why.” Isabel whispered, tears filling her eyes as she tried to pull away from Dean. “Please, Dean, let me go!”

 

He held fast, searching her face with his impossible green eyes, “We wouldn’t do that.”

 

“That’s not the point. And it’s my baby, I wouldn’t let you.” Dean’s hands fell away and she stumbled back, hands clutching the fabric over her stomach as she watched them.

 

“We wouldn’t.” Sam said, echoing his brother’s voice.

 

“You would. To protect your nephilim, you would both do it. They’re both as good as human right now though, no need to worry.” Eve said easily.

 

“Why would you care?” Isabel asked, allowing Sam to pull her behind him.

 

“We’re family. You may be a little stupid, but you haven’t done anything against me. I’m curious as to the outcome as well, though. Like my own children, you just never really know what you’re going to get.” Eve pondered her hand, “Children always love their mothers though, don’t they?”

 

“Why would we want to kill it?” Dean asked, hating that the woman he’d come to kill was the one he needed information from.

 

“Nephilim aren’t meant to have children. Most female nephilim don’t have a Grace strong enough to support a child, and one or both die.” She grinned, “Isabel’s her mother’s daughter though, lots of Grace, bursting at the seams, actually. More than enough to balance the drain motherhood will put on her. If I don’t kill you all, of course.”

 

“You’d kill me? Thought you said we were family?” Isabel challenged.

 

Eve laughed, “You don’t think about that when you go around killing your cousins. You’ve genetically dodged the bullet, but your impending death has just changed faces.”

 

“Do you know why all your little creatures want my blood?” Isabel asked. Eve didn’t answer, and she smiled, “They’re under the assumption that my blood while I’m pregnant will rid them of their handicaps. They don’t like what they are.”

 

Eve glared, just an instant from jumping at them. Dean pulled Isabel back behind him, “Let’s not antagonize the Hell Queen, okay?”

 

Eve shimmered, turning into a beautiful blonde woman Isabel had never seen, but from the way the brothers recoiled, she knew who it was. Mary Winchester. “There, maybe you’ll understand a mother’s love if I look a little more like this.”

 

“Oh, you bitch.” Dean cursed, looking away.

 

“She died to protect you, didn’t she?” Eve said easily, glancing back at Isabel, who’d managed to get her fear under control. She had Bobby on her side, and Daniel, she’d be able to make them understand. They just needed to live through Eve first. “See? You understand a mother’s love. Well, not you, Isabel, your mother is a sanctimonious, self-centered bitch, but you understand it the other way around, don’t you? I’m no different.”

 

“All right, you know what? Don’t talk to her. Conversation’s over. If you’re gonna kill us, kill us, just let her go.” Dean growled, and Sam gripped Isabel’s hand behind his back.

 

Eve looked offended, “You? No. It’s Crowley I want dead.”

 

The brothers shared a confused look, and Dean said, “Well, you’re too late there. That little limey mook roasted months ago.”

 

Eve smiled pleasantly, “Crowley’s alive.”

 

Sam spoke again, “That’s impossible.”

 

Eve scoffed, coming around the counter, “I see his face through the eyes of every child he strings up and skins.” She settled next to Sam, touching Isabel’s cheek fondly, “Any idea why he’s hurting my babies?”

 

“He wants Purgatory, right?” Dean stammered, eyes fixed on where Eve was touching Isabel. Eve laughed, and he continued, “Location, location, location.”

 

Eve rolled her eyes, “Is that what he told you? It’s about the souls.”

 

“Well what about them?” Sam asked, his hand getting a squeeze from Isabel.

 

Eve scoffed again, “They’re power, you simple little monkey. Fuel. Each soul a beautiful, little nuclear reactor. Isabel here has a particularly strong one.” She said, patting Isabel’s cheek before pacing back behind them. “Put them together, you have the sun. Now, think what the King of Hell could do with that vast, untapped oil well...how powerful he’d be. Now Crowley wants to siphon off my supply, and torture my children to do it? Okay, fine. I’ll quit playing nice. I’ll turn you all. Every soul- mine. Let’s see how hot his hell burns when everyone comes to me.” She made a face, “He asked for it.”

 

Dean cleared his throat, “You know, last I checked, there are a few billion of us. That plan might take a while.”

 

“What exactly do you think I’m doing here?” Eve exclaimed, gesturing around them, “I’m building the perfect beast.”

 

“Wait a second-” Sam said, realization dawning on his face, “All those- All those things we’ve been finding.”

 

Eve shrugged, “Call it beta-testing.”

 

Dean licked his lips, “Well, I think your formula might be a little off.”

 

The conversation took a terrible turn, and Isabel gripped the counter behind her, “No.”

 

Eve smiled at her, “Yes, little Ryan. He liked you, you’re family now. He sensed a cousin.” She tutted at them, “You look upset. If it makes you feel any better, Ryan was bound to work on you, little wayward orphan...like yourselves.” She pinched Sam’s cheek, a mockery of affection, “There’s nothing you can do about it now, so let’s talk.”

 

Sam scoffed, “Nothing to say.”

 

“Well, that’s where you’re wrong.” Eve took Isabel’s free hand in her own, clasping it motheringly, “I have an offer to propose. Crowley. As you know, not so easy to find. So, here’s the deal. Isabel stays with me so we can have some girl time and talk babies. You two find him, bring him to me, and I let the four of you live.”

 

“Pass.” Dean said instantly.

 

“Dean.” Isabel and Sam said in stunned unison.

 

“No. The answer is no.” He said firmly, refusing to look at either of them directly.

 

Eve cocked her head, her hands tightening on Isabel’s, “You say that like you have another option.”

 

“Maybe I do, maybe I don’t.” He said cockily.

 

“You think?” Eve said, putting one of her hands on Isabel’s stomach, a silent threat that had the half angel trembling. She nearly fainted when Bobby and Castiel were dragged in by Jefferson Starships. Eve sighed dramatically, “Well, so much for your plan “B”. She narrowed in on Castiel, “I’m older than you, Castiel, far older. I know what makes angels tick. As long as I’m around, consider yourself...unplugged. Isabel, I like, and she’s hardly more than a baby herself, not much of a threat to me.” She winked at the half-siblings, walking back around the counter, “Work for me. It’s a good deal.” They refused to reply, and Eve sighed, “Bonus, I won’t kill your friends.”

 

“All right, look. The last few months, we were working for an evil dick. We’re not about to sign up for an evil bitch. We don’t work with demons. We don’t work with monsters. And if that means you got to kill us, then kill us.” Dean spat at her.

 

Eve hummed, “Or, I turn you...Isabel excluded of course, too much Grace, but then you would do what I want anyway.”

 

Dean clenched his jaw, “Beat me with a wire hanger, answer’s still no.”

 

Eve was behind him in the blink of an eye, Sam standing, forcing Isabel behind him, but they were both grabbed. “Don’t. Test me.” Eve hissed in his ear.

 

Dean had to goad her further, “Bite me.” And she did. Sam and Isabel struggled against their captors, screaming his name. They fell limp when Eve started coughing, and Dean turned, hand on his bleeding neck, to gloat, “Phoenix ash. One shell. One ounce of whiskey. Down the hatch.” Isabel could have strangled him. “Little musty on the afterburn.” He put on a wistful smile, “Call you later, mom.”

 

After a few seconds of watching, Isabel had to turn away, and when Eve went down, Castiel quelled the instantly violent creatures. Sam looked at the angel, “Hey, Cas. Dean’s bleeding pretty good.”

 

Ah, the silent treatment had begun. Isabel ignored that Sam had addressed the comment to Castiel and went to Dean who was looking a bit grey, “I think she turned me into a Jefferson Starship.”

 

“Shh.” Isabel cooed, putting her hand over his for a second before pulling away. “All right, we’re good.”

 

Dean glared at her, “Oh, we are far from good right now, Baby Girl. We’ve got to go take care of Ryan, and then we are having a very long discussion with copious amounts of alcohol for me and Sammy.” He looked to her brother, “Castiel, let’s go.”

 

Both boys were dead when they arrived, their uncle too, by demons, which gave great credence to the idea that this Crowley was still alive. Castiel vanished to ‘look into it’, and Bobby let the wrecking ball swing towards the Winchesters, proposing that Castiel had intentionally staged Crowley’s death. Dean protested, and Sam didn’t. Isabel didn’t have an opinion. She was planning on making herself as unnoticeable as possible for as long as possible.

 

That lasted until Dean went to let Lenore out of Bobby’s panic room, and she wasn’t there. “Where the hell is Lenore?”

 

Isabel shored up her confidence, “I let her go.”

 

“Why the hell would you do that?” Dean exclaimed, staring at her in disbelief.

 

Isabel looked down at her hands, “I made her human. Well, the baby and I did.” She took a deep breath, “I’ll let you read, but, basically, while I’m pregnant, my blood can be used by creatures to remove their vulnerabilities. All the strength, powers, and teeth, none of the silver allergy or being booted by exorcisms. Daniel told me to hold off on telling you two because Eve needed to die, and if you knew before, you’d be distracted.”

 

Dean looked away, “He was probably right.” He looked back at her as Sam left the room, “Are you okay? I mean, Bobby said ya’ll went to the hospital.” He winced and waved in the general direction of her stomach, “Everything okay?”

 

Isabel couldn’t keep her eyebrows from raising in amusement, and patted herself on the stomach, “Yup, and I already got an email that all my blood work came back perfectly normal. I’m fine, baby’s fine, and you two are fine. We’ll deal with Crowley soon.”

 

Sam returned, “Called your house, Lenore’s all settled, asked where the keys to your car were.” He smiled slightly, “Said she wanted to run to the store because she was craving bagels. Also, she said your potted plant is dead and she’s pretty sure you’ve got cats living under the porch.”

 

“Glad she’s okay. Not so happy about my plant. Guess the watering bulb ran dry.” Isabel said, standing and gesturing for them both to stay put, “I’ll be right back.” She went up to their room, Ion following close behind, and returned with her laptop and the sonogram photo. She sat them both in Sam’s lap, hoping he’d say something. He looked up at her, refusing to look at the little square photograph, “Sam, I’m fine. Blood work results are up on my computer if you want to check. The only thing remotely out of the ordinary is my healing ability, and it kind of makes sense.”

 

Sam had his bitchface on, and snapped, “Sense? How’s that?”

 

“After I saved Will, I was exhausted, pretty much for days. I think if I’d healed Gwen, I would have lost the baby, so my body cut that ability off at a certain threshold. I feel awful about Gwen, I do." He didn't say anything, "Oh, give me that.” Isabel snatched the photo up and handed it to Dean, who stared in amazement.

 

“We are so in over our heads.” He whispered, staring at the tiny grey blob while Sam opened her laptop, undoubtably scouring the numbers for something off.

 

Bobby sat beers down on the coffee table between the brothers, “How do you think I’ve felt with the two of you all these years?” He looked between the three of them, hand on Ion’s massive head, “Don’t worry, kids, the mutt and I’ll keep you from drowning.”

 

Isabel looked at Sam, trying not to let his anger get to her. She understood why, because Eve was right, Sam was going to worry that his tattered soul would affect the baby if it was his. He’d never stop worrying, not until they did a paternity test, but even then, it could confirm his fears. Isabel sighed, settling onto the sofa next to Dean, who didn’t look away from the photograph of their future, “We’ll need you, Bobby. You can count on that.”

 

He nodded, “Of course you will, you bunch of idjits.” He pat Ion again, “Mutt here’s the only other one that’s got any sense.” They all went to bed after that, except Sam. He wasn’t talking and refused their attempts to get him to go upstairs with them.

 

When Isabel snuck down the stairs in the middle of the night to satiate her sweet tooth, she draped a blanket over her giant, who was stretched out on Bobby’s sofa, making the thing look tiny. She was finishing off some pie when he came into the kitchen, staring thoughtfully at her while she raised the last bite to her lips. “We’re really doing this?”

 

Isabel was caught off-guard by him actually speaking to her. She and Dean’d been prepared for Sam to give her the silent treatment for more than just a few hours. She nodded slowly, “I am.” She sighed, pushing the plate away from her, “I’m not going to force either of you into anything. Just drop me back off in Castlewood and Lenore and I’ll play roomies for a while if you don’t want me around. Aunt Alice’ll be thrilled.”

 

“Fuck, no!” Sam exclaimed, running his hands anxiously through his hair, “You’re not going anywhere unless one of us is with you.” He looked defeated, “I’m not going to be the person Eve thought I was going to be. I’m not going to hurt you like that.” He took a deep breath, looking intensely at her, “I’m not gonna breathe easy until I know for sure I haven’t fucked the kid up, though.”

 

Isabel was on him in a second, wrapping her arms around his torso, “Oh, Sam.”

 

He held her stiffly, “What?”

 

She looked up at him, chin on his chest, “You have no idea how much that won’t happen. You are so kind and gentle. There’s nothing in you that could possibly screw anyone up. The fact that you’re worried in the first place is all I need to know.”

 

“Know what?” He asked, hazel eyes shifting colors in the faint light.

 

“That you’re gonna be one of the two best dads ever.” She smiled up at him.

 

He smiled back, just a little, but it was enough to make the tension in her chest dissolve, “Guess I’m gonna have to do my best. You’ve got high expectations.”

 

“She always does.” Dean said, startling them both. He was shirtless and bleary eyed, “Spend so much time with three people and a dog in one bed, it’s hard to sleep alone.” He looked at the nonexistent space between them, “You two made up?”

 

Isabel looked to Sam, and he nodded, “Yeah. Just as long as she promises to keep us in the know from now on, and keeps her ass out of dangerous situations.”

 

Isabel stood on her tiptoes and kissed him, “Of course. We just have to hope Bobby doesn’t get sick of me hanging around here. We could always go back to Castlewood though, since that’s closer to where my idiot brother hauled us to the hospital.”

 

“We’ll see.” Sam frowned, “Can I...” He cleared his throat, “Can I see the sonogram?”

 

Isabel gestured to Dean, who groaned, “Don’t bend it.”, and pulled the photo out of his duffle where he’d stashed it before bed.

 

Sam stared at it for a few minutes before walking to the fridge and pinning the picture up next to one of Bobby and their dad. “Next time, need to get more than one picture.”

 

“You got it.” Isabel answered instantly. “I go back in a month.”

 

“That long?” Sam exclaimed, surprised.

 

She nodded, “Yeah, like I said, everything looked totally normal. No need to worry.” She yawned, and Sam scooped her up.

 

“Come on, let’s get back to sleep.” He said, letting Dean go up the stairs first.

 

Dean sighed, “Yeah, ‘cause we’ve got to start hunting Crowley tomorrow.”

 

Isabel groaned when Sam rolled her from his arms onto the bed, “Yay. All researching, no ass kicking. I’m so excited. Love you guys.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------THE END -----------------------------------------------------------------

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think!


End file.
